Chapter 45. That we must not believe everyone, and that we are prone to f... (Book 3. On Inward Consolation as a Gift of God) (The Imitation of Christ) (a-Kempis, Thomas)

1. Lord, be you my help in trouble, for vain is the help of man. How often have I failed to find faithfulness, where I thought I possessed it. How many times I have found it where I least expected. Vain therefore is hope in men, but the salvation of the just, O God, is in You. Blessed be you, O Lord my God, in all things which happen to us. We are weak and unstable, we are quickly deceived and quite changed.

2. Who is the man who is able to keep himself so warily and circumspectly as not sometimes to come into some snare of perplexity? But he who trusts in You, O Lord, and seeks You with an unfeigned heart, does not so easily slip. And if he fall into any tribulation, howsoever he may be entangled, yet very quickly he shall be delivered through You, or by You shall be comforted, because You will not forsake him that trusts in You to the end. A friend who continues faithful in all the distresses of his friend is rare to be found. You, O Lord, You alone are most faithful in all things, and there is none other like to You.

3. Oh, how truly wise was that holy soul which said, "My mind is steadfastly fixed, and it is grounded in Christ." If so it were with me, the fear of man should not so easily tempt me, nor the arrows of words move me. Who is sufficient to foresee all things, who to guard beforehand against future ills? If even things which are foreseen sometimes hurt us, what can things which are not foreseen do, but grievously injure? But wherefore have I not better provided for myself, miserable that I am? Why, too, have I given such heed to others? But we are men, nor are we other than frail men, even though by many we are reckoned and called angels. Whom shall I trust, O Lord, whom shall I trust but You? You are the Truth, and deceivest not, nor can be deceived. And on the other hand, Every man is a liar, weak, unstable and frail, especially in his words, so that one ought scarcely ever to believe what seems to sound right on the face of it.

4. With what wisdom have you warned us beforehand to beware of men, and that a man's foes are they of his own household, and that we must not believe if one say to us Lo here, or Lo there. I have been taught by my loss, and O that I may prove more careful and not foolish hereby. "Be cautious," says some one: "be cautious, keep to yourself what I tell you." And whilst I am silent and believe that it is hid with me, he himself cannot keep silence concerning it, but immediately betrays me and himself, and goes his way. Protect me, O Lord, from such mischief-making and reckless men; let me not fall into their hands, nor ever do such things myself. Put a true and steadfast word into my mouth, and remove a deceitful tongue far from me. What I would not suffer, I ought by all means to beware of doing.

5. Oh, how good and peacemaking a thing it is to be silent concerning others, and not carelessly to believe all reports, nor to hand them on further; how good also to lay one's self open to few, to seek ever to have You as the beholder of the heart; not to be carried about with every wind of words, but to desire that all things inward and outward be done according to the good pleasure of Your will! How safe for the preserving of heavenly grace to fly from human approval, and not to long after the things which seem to win admiration abroad, but to follow with all earnestness those things which bring amendment of life and heavenly fervour! How many have been injured by their virtue being made known and too hastily praised. How truly profitable has been grace preserved in silence in this frail life, which, as we are told, is all temptation and warfare.

Psalm lx. 11. St. Agatha. Psalm cxvi. 11; Romans iii. 4. Matthew x. 17, 36. Matthew xxiv. 23.