the imitation of christ(丼径児興)-及22准
梓囚徒貧圭�鮗� ○ 賜 ★ 辛酔堀貧和鍬匈��梓囚徒貧議 Enter 囚辛指欺云慕朕村匈��梓囚徒貧圭�鮗� ● 辛指欺云匈競何��
!!!!隆堋響頼��紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響��
more grievous and deadly enemy to the soul than thou art to thyself�察 �if
thou art not led by the Spirit。 Thou must not altogether conceive
contempt for thyself�察 �if thou wilt prevail against flesh and blood。
Because as yet thou inordinately lovest thyself�察 �therefore thou shrinkest
from yielding thyself to the will of others。
2。 ;But what great thing is it that thou�察�who art dust and nothingness�察�
yieldest thyself to man for God's sake�察�when I�察�the Almighty and the Most
High�察�who created all things out of nothing�察�subjected Myself to man for
thy sake�拭 �I became the most humble and despised of men�察�that by My
humility thou mightest overcome thy pride。 Learn to obey�察 �O dust� �
Learn to humble thyself�察�O earth and clay�察�and to bow thyself beneath the
feet of all。 Learn to crush thy passions and to yield thyself in all
subjection。
3。 ;Be zealous against thyself�察�nor suffer pride to live within thee�察�but
so show thyself subject and of no reputation�察�that all may be able to walk
over thee�察�and tread thee down as the clay in the streets。 What hast thou�察�
O foolish man�察�of which to complain�拭 �What�察�O vile sinner�察�canst thou
answer to those who speak against thee�察�seeing thou hast so often offended
God�察�and many a time hast deserved hell�拭 �But Mine eye hath spared thee�察�
because thy soul was precious in My sight�察�that thou mightest know My
94
´ Page 95´
THE IMITATION OF CHRIST
love�察 �and mightest be thankful for My benefits�察 �and that thou mightest
give thyself altogether to true subjection and humility�察�and patiently bear
the contempt which thou meritest。;
95
´ Page 96´
THE IMITATION OF CHRIST
CHAPTER 49
Of meditation upon the hidden judgments of God�察�that we may not be
lifted up because of our well´doing
Thou sendest forth Thy judgments against me�察�O Lord�察�and shakest all
my bones with fear and trembling�察�and my soul trembleth exceedingly。 I
stand astonished�察 �and remember that the heavens are not clean in thy
sight。��1�� If Thou chargest Thine angels with folly�察�and didst spare them
not�察 �how shall it be unto me�拭 �Stars have fallen from heaven�察 �and what
shall I dare who am but dust�拭 �They whose works seemed to be
praiseworthy�察 �fell into the lowest depths�察 �and they who did eat Angels'
food�察�them have I seen delighted with the husks that the swine do eat。
2。 There is therefore no holiness�察 �if Thou O Lord�察 �withdraw Thine
hand。 No wisdom profiteth�察 �if Thou leave off to guide the helm。 No
strength availeth�察�if Thou cease to preserve。 No purity is secure�察�if Thou
protect it not。 No self´keeping availeth�察 �if Thy holy watching be not
there。 For when we are left alone we are swallowed up and perish�察�but
when we are visited�察�we are raised up�察�and we live。 For indeed we are
unstable�察 �but are made strong through Thee�察 �we grow cold�察 �but are
rekindled by Thee。
3。 Oh�察�how humbly and abjectly must I reckon of myself�察�how must I
weigh it as nothing�察�if I seem to have nothing good� �Oh�察�how profoundly
ought I to submit myself to Thy unfathomable judgments�察�O Lord�察�when I
find myself nothing else save nothing�察 �and again nothing� �Oh weight
unmeasurable�察 �oh ocean which cannot be crossed over�察 �where I find
nothing of myself save nothing altogether� �Where�察 �then�察 �is the hiding´
place of glory�察�where the confidence begotten of virtue�拭 �All vain´glory is
swallowed up in the depths of Thy judgments against me。
4。 What is all flesh in Thy sight�拭 �For how shall the clay boast against
Him that fashioned it�殖�2�� How can he be lifted up in vain speech whose
heart is subjected in truth to God�拭 �The whole world shall not lift him up
whom Truth hath subdued�察�nor shall he be moved by the mouth of all who
96
´ Page 97´
THE IMITATION OF CHRIST
praise him�察 �who hath placed all his hope in God。 For they themselved
who speak�察 �behold�察 �they are all nothing�察 �for they shall cease with the
sound of their words�察�but the truth of the Lord endureth for ever。��3��
��1�� Job xv。 15。 ��2�� Psalm xxix。 16。 ��3�� Psalm cxvii。 2。
97
´ Page 98´
THE IMITATION OF CHRIST
CHAPTER 50
How we must stand and speak�察�in everything that we desire
;My Son�察�speak thou this in every matter�察�'Lord�察�if it please Thee�察�let
this come to pass。 Lord�察�if this shall be for Thine honour�察�let it be done in
Thy Name。 Lord�察 �if thou see it good for me�察 �and approve it as useful�察�
then grant me to use it for Thy honour。 But if thou knowest that it shall
be hurtful unto me�察�and not profitable for the health of my soul�察�take the
desire away from me'� �For not every desire is from the Holy Ghost�察�
although it appear to a man right and good。 It is difficult to judge with
certainty whether a good or an evil spirit move thee to desire this or that�察�
or whether thou art moved by thine own spirit。 Many have been
deceived at the last�察�who seemed at the beginning to be moved by a good
spirit。
2。 ;Therefore�察�whatsoever seemeth to thee desirable�察�thou must always
desire and seek after it with the fear of God and humility of heart�察 �and
most of all�察 �must altogether resign thyself�察 �and commit all unto Me and
say�察�'Lord�察�thou knowest what is best�察�let this or that be�察�according as Thou
wilt。 Give what Thou wilt�察�so much as Thou wilt�察�when Thou wilt。 Do
with me as Thou knowest best�察�and as best shall please Thee�察�and as shall
be most to Thine honour。 Place me where Thou wilt�察 �and freely work
Thy will with me in all things。 I am in Thine hand�察�and turn me in my
course。 Behold�察�I am Thy servant�察�ready for all things�察�for I desire to live
not to myself but to Thee。 Oh�察�that I might live worthily and perfectly。';
A PRAYER TO BE ENABLED TO DO GOD'S WILL
PERFECTLY
3。 Grant me Thy grace�察�most merciful Jesus�察�that it may be with me�察�
and work in me�察�and persevere with me�察�even unto the end。 Grant that I
may ever desire and wish whatsoever is most pleasing and dear unto Thee。
Let Thy will be mine�察 �and let my will alway follow Thine�察 �and entirely
accord with it。 May I choose and reject whatsoever Thou dost�察�yea�察�let it
be impossible for me to choose or reject except according to Thy will。
98
´ Page 99´
THE IMITATION OF CHRIST
4。 Grant that I may die to all worldly things�察�and for Thy sake love to
be despised and unknown in this world。 Grant unto me�察�above all things
that I can desire�察�to rest in Thee�察�and that in Thee my heart may be at peace。
Thou art the true peace of the heart�察�Thou alone its rest�察�apart from Thee
all things are hard and unquiet。 In Thee alone�察�the supreme and eternal
Good�察�I will lay me down in peace and take my rest。��1�� Amen。
��1�� Psalm iv。 9。
99
´ Page 100´
THE IMITATION OF CHRIST
CHAPTER 51
That true solace is to be sought in God alone
Whatsoever I am able to desire or to think of for my solace�察�I look for
it not here�察�but hereafter。 For if I alone had all the solaces of this world�察�
and were able to enjoy all its delights�察 �it is certain that they could not
endure long。 Wherefore�察�O my soul�察�thou canst be fully comforted and
perfectly refreshed�察�only in God�察�the Comforter of the poor�察�and the lifter
up of the humble。 Wait but a little while�察�my soul�察�wait for the Divine
promise�察�and thou shalt have abundance of all good things in heaven。 If
thou longest too inordinately f