Chapter 34. That to him who loves God is sweet above all things and in a... (Book 3. On Inward Consolation as a Gift of God) (The Imitation of Christ) (a-Kempis, Thomas)

1. Behold, God is mine, and all things are mine! What will I more, and what more happy thing can I desire? O delightsome and sweet world! that is, to him that loves the Word, not the world, neither the things that are in the world. My God, my all! To him that understands, that word suffices, and to repeat it often is pleasing to him that loves it. When You are present all things are pleasant; when You are absent, all things are wearisome. You make the heart to be at rest, give it deep peace and festal joy. You make it to think rightly in every matter, and in every matter to give You praise; neither can anything please long without You but if it would be pleasant and of sweet savour, Your grace must be there, and it is Your wisdom which must give to it a sweet savour.

2. To him who tastes You, what can be distasteful? And to him who tastes You not, what is there which can make him joyous? But the worldly wise, and they who enjoy the flesh, these fail in Your wisdom; for in the wisdom of the world is found utter vanity, and to be carnally minded is death. But they who follow after You through contempt of worldly things, and mortification of the flesh, are found to be truly wise because they are carried from vanity to verity, from the flesh to the spirit. They taste that the Lord is good, and whatsoever good they find in creatures, they count it all to the praise of the Creator. Unlike, yea, very unlike is the enjoyment of the Creator to enjoyment of the Creature, the enjoyment of eternity and of time, of light uncreated and of light reflected.

3. O Light everlasting, surpassing all created lights, dart down Your ray from on high which shall pierce the inmost depths of my heart. Give purity, joy, clearness, life to my spirit that with all its powers it may cleave to You with rapture passing man's understanding. Oh when shall that blessed and longed-for time come when You will satisfy me with Your presence, and be to me All in all? So long as this is delayed, my joy shall not be full. Still, ah me! the old man lives in me: he is not yet all crucified, not yet quite dead; still he lusts fiercely against the spirit, wages inward wars, nor suffers the soul's kingdom to be in peace.

4. But You who rulest the raging of the sea, and stillest the waves thereof when they arise, rise up and help me. Scatter the people that delight in war. Destroy them by Your power. Show forth, I beseech You, Your might, and let Your right hand be glorified, for I have no hope, no refuge, save in You, O Lord my God.

1 John ii. 15. Psalm lxviii. 30.