Chapter 10. Of gratitude for the Grace of God (Book 2. Admonitions concerning the inner life) (The Imitation of Christ) (a-Kempis, Thomas)

1. Why seek you rest when you are born to labour? Prepare yourself for patience more than for comforts, and for bearing the cross more than for joy. For who among the men of this world would not gladly receive consolation and spiritual joy if he might always have it? For spiritual comforts exceed all the delights of the world, and all the pleasures of the flesh. For all worldly delights are either empty or unclean, whilst spiritual delights alone are pleasant and honourable, the offspring of virtue, and poured forth by God into pure minds. But no man can always enjoy these divine comforts at his own will, because the season of temptation ceass not for long.

2. Great is the difference between a visitation from above and false liberty of spirit and great confidence in self. God does well in giving us the grace of comfort, but man does ill in not immediately giving God thanks thereof. And so the gifts of grace are not able to flow to us, because we are ungrateful to the Author of them, and return them not wholly to the Fountain whence they flow. For grace ever becomes the portion of him who is grateful and that is taken away from the proud, which is wont to be given to the humble.

3. I desire no consolation which taks away from me compunction, I love no contemplation which leads to pride. For all that is high is not holy, nor is everything that is sweet good; every desire is not pure; nor is everything that is dear to us pleasing to God. Willingly do I accept that grace whereby I am made humbler and more wary and more ready to renounce myself. He who is made learned by the gift of grace and taught wisdom by the stroke of the withdrawal thereof, will not dare to claim any good thing for himself, but will rather confess that he is poor and needy. Give to God the thing which is God's, and ascribe to yourself that which is your; that is, give thanks to God for His grace, but for yourself alone confess your fault, and that your punishment is deserved for your fault.

4. Sit you down always in the lowest room and you will be given the highest place. For the highest cannot be without the lowest. For the highest saints of God are least in their own sight, and the more glorious they are, so much the lowlier are they in themselves; full of grace and heavenly glory, they are not desirous of vain-glory; resting on God and strong in His might, they cannot be lifted up in any wise. And they who ascribe to God all the good which they have received, "seek not glory one of another, but the glory which comes from God only," and they desire that God shall be praised in Himself and in all His Saints above all things, and they are always striving for this very thing.

5. Be thankful, therefore, for the least benefit and you will be worthy to receive greater. Let the least be to you even as the greatest, and let that which is of little account be to you as a special gift. If the majesty of the Giver be considered, nothing that is given shall seem small and of no worth, for that is not a small thing which is given by the Most High God. Yea, though He gave punishment and stripes, we ought to be thankful, because He ever does for our profit whatever He suffers to come upon us. He who seeks to retain the favour of God, let him be thankful for the favour which is given, and patient in respect of that which is taken away. Let him pray that it may return; let him be wary and humble that he lose it not.

Matthew xxii. 21. Luke xiv. 10.