Imitation 2 1025 verses
1Why seekest thou rest when thou art born to labour?
2Prepare thyself for patience more than for comforts, and for bearing the cross more than for joy.
3For who among the men of this world would not gladly receive consolation and spiritual joy if he might always have it?
4For spiritual comforts exceed all the delights of the world, and all the pleasures of the flesh.
5For 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.
6But no man can always enjoy these divine comforts at his own will, because the season of temptation ceaseth not for long.
7Great is the difference between a visitation from above and false liberty of spirit and great confidence in self.
8God doeth well in giving us the grace of comfort, but man doeth ill in not immediately giving God thanks thereof.
9And thus the gifts of grace are not able to flow unto us, because we are ungrateful to the Author of them, and return them not wholly to the Fountain whence they flow.
10For grace ever becometh the portion of him who is grateful and that is taken away from the proud, which is wont to be given to the humble.
11I desire no consolation which taketh away from me compunction, I love no contemplation which leadeth to pride.
12For 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 unto God.
13Willingly do I accept that grace whereby I am made humbler and more wary and more ready to renounce myself.
14He 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.
15“Give unto God the thing which is God’s,” and ascribe to thyself that which is thine; that is, give thanks unto God for His grace, but for thyself alone confess thy fault, and that thy punishment is deserved for thy fault.
16Sit thou down always in the lowest room and thou shalt be given the highest place.
17For the highest cannot be without the lowest.
18For 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 vainglory; resting on God and strong in His might, they cannot be lifted up in any wise.
19And they who ascribe unto God all the good which they have received, “seek not glory one of another, but the glory which cometh 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.
20Be thankful, therefore, for the least benefit and thou shalt be worthy to receive greater.
21Let the least be unto thee even as the greatest, and let that which is of little account be unto thee as a special gift.
22If 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.
23Yea, though He gave punishment and stripes, we ought to be thankful, because He ever doth for our profit whatever He suffereth to come upon us.
24He who seeketh 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.
25Let him pray that it may return; let him be wary and humble that he lose it not.
