Imitation 3 3423 verses
1Behold, God is mine, and all things are mine!
2What will I more, and what more happy thing can I desire?
3O delightsome and sweet world!
4that is, to him that loveth the Word, “not the world, neither the things that are in the world.” My God, my all!
5To him that understandeth, that word sufficeth, and to repeat it often is pleasing to him that loveth it.
6When Thou art present all things are pleasant; when Thou art absent, all things are wearisome.
7Thou makest the heart to be at rest, givest it deep peace and festal joy.
8Thou makest it to think rightly in every matter, and in every matter to give Thee praise; neither can anything please long without Thee but if it would be pleasant and of sweet savour, Thy grace must be there, and it is Thy wisdom which must give unto it a sweet savour.
9To him who tasteth Thee, what can be distasteful?
10And to him who tasteth Thee not, what is there which can make him joyous?
11But the worldly wise, and they who enjoy the flesh, these fail in Thy wisdom; for in the wisdom of the world is found utter vanity, and to be carnally minded is death.
12But they who follow after Thee 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.
13They taste that is good, and whatsoever good they find in creatures, they count it all unto the praise of the Creator.
14Unlike, 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.
15O Light everlasting, surpassing all created lights, dart down Thy ray from on high which shall pierce the inmost depths of my heart.
16Give purity, joy, clearness, life to my spirit that with all its powers it may cleave unto Thee with rapture passing man’s understanding.
17Oh when shall that blessed and longed-for time come when Thou shalt satisfy me with Thy presence, and be unto me All in all?
18So long as this is delayed, my joy shall not be full.
19Still, ah me!
20the old man liveth in me: he is not yet all crucified, not yet quite dead; still he lusteth fiercely against the spirit, wageth inward wars, nor suffereth the soul’s kingdom to be in peace.
21But “Thou who rulest the raging of the sea, and stillest the waves thereof when they arise,” rise up and help me.
22“Scatter the people that delight in war.” Destroy them by Thy power.
23Show forth, I beseech Thee, Thy might, and let Thy right hand be glorified, for I have no hope, no refuge, save in Thee, O Lord my God.
