The Imitation of ChristPurchase one of 1st World Library's Classic Books and help support our free internet library of downloadable eBooks. Visit us online at www.1stWorldLibrary.ORG - - The treatise "Of the Imitation of Christ" appears to have been originally written in Latin early in the fifteenth century. Its exact date and its authorship are still a matter of debate. Manuscripts of the Latin version survive in considerable numbers all over Western Europe, and they, with the vast list of translations and of printed editions, testify to its almost unparalleled popularity. One scribe attributes it to St. Bernard of Clairvaux; but the fact that it contains a quotation from St. Francis of Assisi, who was born thirty years after the death of St. Bernard, disposes of this theory. In England there exist many manuscripts of the first three books, called "Musica Ecclesiastica," frequently ascribed to the English mystic Walter Hilton. But Hilton seems to have died in 1395, and there is no evidence of the existence of the work before 1400. Many manuscripts scattered throughout Europe ascribe the book to Jean le Charlier de Gerson, the great Chancellor of the University of Paris, who was a leading figure in the Church in the earlier part of the fifteenth century. The most probable author, however, especially when the internal evidence is considered, is Thomas Haemmerlein, known also as Thomas a Kempis, from his native town of Kempen, near the Rhine, about forty miles north of Cologne. |
Contents
| 9 | |
| 11 | |
| 13 | |
| 16 | |
| 17 | |
| 18 | |
| 19 | |
| 21 | |
That we must rest in God above all goods and gifts | 151 |
Of the recollection of Gods manifold benefits | 154 |
Of four things which bring great peace | 157 |
Of avoiding of curious inquiry into the life of another | 160 |
Wherein firm peace of heart and true profit consist | 161 |
Of the exaltation of a free spirit which humble prayer more deserveth than doth frequent reading | 163 |
That personal love greatly hindereth from the highest good | 165 |
Against the tongues of detractors | 168 |
| 22 | |
| 24 | |
| 25 | |
| 27 | |
| 28 | |
| 31 | |
| 33 | |
| 35 | |
| 37 | |
| 38 | |
Of the exercises of a religious man | 41 |
Of the love of solitude and silence | 44 |
Of compunction of heart | 48 |
On the contemplation of human misery | 51 |
Of meditation upon death | 54 |
Of the judgment and punishment of the wicked | 58 |
Of the zealous amendment of our whole life | 62 |
ADMONITIONS CONCERNING THE INNER LIFE | 67 |
Of the inward life | 69 |
Of lowly submission | 73 |
Of the good peaceable man | 75 |
Of a pure mind and simple intention | 77 |
Of selfesteem | 79 |
Of the joy of a good conscience | 81 |
Of loving Jesus above all things | 83 |
Of the intimate love of Jesus | 85 |
Of the lack of all comfort | 88 |
Of gratitude for the Grace of God | 92 |
Of the fewness of those who love the Cross of Jesus | 95 |
Of the royal way of the Holy Cross | 97 |
ON INWARD CONSOLATION | 103 |
Of the inward voice of Christ to the faithful soul | 105 |
What the truth saith inwardly without noise of words | 107 |
How all the words of God are to be heard with humility and how many consider them not | 109 |
How we must walk in truth and humility before God | 112 |
Of the wonderful power of the Divine Love | 114 |
Of the proving of the true lover | 117 |
Of hiding our grace under the guard of humility | 120 |
Of a low estimation of self in the sight of God | 123 |
That all things are to be referred to God as the final end | 125 |
That it is sweet to despise the world and to serve God | 127 |
That the desires of the heart are to be examined and governed | 130 |
Of the inward growth of patience and of the struggle against evil desires | 132 |
Of the obedience of one in lowly subjection after the example of Jesus Christ | 134 |
Of meditation upon the hidden judgments of God that we may not be lifted up because of our welldoing | 136 |
How we must stand and speak in everything that we desire | 138 |
That true solace is to be sought in God alone | 140 |
That all care is to be cast upon God | 142 |
That temporal miseries are to be borne patiently after the example of Christ | 144 |
Of bearing injuries and who shall be approved as truly patient | 146 |
Of confession of our infirmity and of the miseries of this life | 148 |
How when tribulation cometh we must call upon and bless God | 169 |
Of seeking divine help and the confidence of obtaining grace | 171 |
Of the neglect of every creature that the Creator may be found | 174 |
Of selfdenial and the casting away all selfishness | 177 |
Of instability of the heart and of directing the aim towards God | 179 |
That to him who loveth God is sweet above all things and in all things | 181 |
That there is no security against temptation in this life | 183 |
Against vain judgments of men | 185 |
Of pure and entire resignation of self for the Obtaining liberty of heart | 187 |
Of a good government in external things and of having recourse to God in dangers | 189 |
That man must not be immersed in business | 191 |
That man hath no good in himself and nothing whereof to glory | 192 |
Of contempt of all temporal honour | 195 |
That our peace is not to be placed in men | 196 |
Against vain and worldly knowledge | 198 |
Of not troubling ourselves about outward things | 200 |
That we must not believe everyone and that we are prone to fall in our words | 201 |
Of having confidence in God when evil words are cast at us | 204 |
That all troubles are to be endured for the sake of eternal life | 207 |
Of the day of eternity and of the straitnesses of this life | 209 |
Of the desire after eternal life and how great blessings are promised to those who strive | 212 |
How a desolate man ought to commit himself into the hands of God | 216 |
That we must give ourselves to humble works when we are unequal to those that are lofty | 220 |
That a man ought not to reckon himself worthy of consolation but more worthy of chastisement | 222 |
That the Grace of God doth not join itself to those who mind earthly things | 224 |
Of the diverse motions of Nature and of Grace | 226 |
Of the corruption of Nature and the efficacy of Divine Grace | 230 |
That we ought to deny ourselves and to imitate Christ by means of the Cross | 233 |
That a man must not be too much cast down when he falleth into some faults | 236 |
Of deeper matters and Gods hidden judgments which are not to be inquired into | 238 |
That all hope and trust is to be fixed in God alone | 243 |
OF THE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR | 245 |
With how great reverence Christ must be received The Voice of the Disciple | 248 |
That the greatness and charity of God is shown to men in the Sacrament The Voice of the Disciple | 254 |
That it is profitable to Communicate often The Voice of the Disciple | 257 |
That many good gifts are bestowed upon those who Communicate devoutly The Voice of the Disciple | 260 |
Of the dignity of this Sacrament and of the office of the priest The Voice of the Beloved | 263 |
An inquiry concerning preparation for Communion The Voice of the Disciple | 265 |
Of the examination of conscience and purpose of amendment The Voice of the Beloved | 266 |
Of the oblation of Christ upon the cross and of resignation of self The Voice of the Beloved | 269 |
That we ought to offer ourselves and all that is ours to God and to pray for all The Voice of the Disciple | 271 |
That Holy Communion is not lightly to be omitted The Voice of the Beloved | 274 |
That the Body and Blood of Christ and the Holy Scriptures are most necessary to a faithful soul The Voice of the Disciple | 278 |
That he who is about to Communicate with Christ ought to prepare himself with great diligence The Voice of the Beloved | 282 |
That the devout soul ought with the whole heart to yearn after union with Christ in the Sacrament The Voice of the Disciple | 285 |
Of the fervent desire of certain devout persons to receive the Body and Blood of Christ The Voice of the Disciple | 287 |
That the grace of devotion is acquired by humility and selfdenial The Voice of the Beloved | 289 |
That we ought to lay open our necessities to Christ and to require His Grace The Voice of the Disciple | 291 |
Of fervent love and vehement desire of receiving Christ The Voice of the Disciple | 293 |
That a man should not be a curious searcher of the Sacrament but a humble imitator of Christ submitting his sense to holy faith The Voice of the Belo... | 296 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
able adversities affection altogether art thou bear Behold Beloved blessed CHAPTER Christ cometh comfort conscience considereth consolation Corinthians created things creature Cross delight desire despise devotion divine dost doth eternal evil faithful fear flesh give thyself glory goeth grievous hadst hath heaven heavenly Holy Communion honour humble humility inwardly Jesus John xiv judgment Kingdom Kingdom of Heaven knoweth labour lest let Thy lieth live Lord loveth mercy mind miseries outward patience peace perfect praise prayer profit Psalm quickly receive rejoice Sacrament Saints saith sake salvation seek seekest seeketh shalt thou sins sorrow soul spirit strive suffer sweet temptation thine Thomas A Kempis thou art thou canst thou hast Thou knowest thou mayest thou oughtest thou shalt find thou wilt Thy grace thy heart Thy holy Thy majesty Thy servant tribulation true truly truth unto Thee vanity verily virtue whatsoever willingly words worldly worthy