Of the imitation of Christ, three, both for wisedome, and godlines, most excellent bookes; made 170. yeeres since by one Thomas of Kempis, and for the worthines thereof oft since translated out of Latine into sundrie languages by diuers godlie and learned men: now newlie corrected, translated, and with most ample textes, and sentences of holie Scripture illustrated by Thomas Rogers
About this Item
Title
Of the imitation of Christ, three, both for wisedome, and godlines, most excellent bookes; made 170. yeeres since by one Thomas of Kempis, and for the worthines thereof oft since translated out of Latine into sundrie languages by diuers godlie and learned men: now newlie corrected, translated, and with most ample textes, and sentences of holie Scripture illustrated by Thomas Rogers
Publication
Imprinted at London :: By Henrie Denham, dwelling in Pater noster Row, at the signe of the Starre,
[1580]
Rights/Permissions
To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
Subject terms
Meditations -- Early works to 1800.
Christian life -- Early works to 1800.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A13680.0001.001
Cite this Item
"Of the imitation of Christ, three, both for wisedome, and godlines, most excellent bookes; made 170. yeeres since by one Thomas of Kempis, and for the worthines thereof oft since translated out of Latine into sundrie languages by diuers godlie and learned men: now newlie corrected, translated, and with most ample textes, and sentences of holie Scripture illustrated by Thomas Rogers." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A13680.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 13, 2024.
Pages
Chap. 24. Of the last iudgement; and of the punishment for si ne.
WHatsoeuer thou ta∣kest in hand remember thine ende a 1.1, and how thou must appeere be∣fore a seuere iudge, in whose sight nothing is hid b 1.2, which neither is pleased by reward, nor ad∣mitteth vaine excuses; but rightlie & indifferentlie iudgeth al men c 1.3.
O fond man, & miserable wretch, what answere wilt thou make vnto God, who knoweth al thy sinnes d 1.4, which oftentimes fearest euen the lookes of an angrie man?
Why doest thou not looke to thy selfe against the daie of that iudge∣ment, when no man shal excuse, or defend another e 1.5? for euerie man shal haue enough to answer for himself f 1.6.
Now maist thou doe good, if thou take paine; now wil thy teares be ac∣cepted, if thou weepe; now maie thy groanes be heard, if thou sigh g 1.7, and both pacifie God, and purge thy self.
descriptionPage 59
And in deede thoroughlie is the patient man purged, which being in∣iuried, doth bewaile the wickednes of the inferrer rather than the iniu∣rie offered to himselfe; praieth for his enimies h 1.8; forgiueth them from his heart i 1.9; asketh pardon speedily of others whom he hath offended k 1.10; is more easilie moued to pittie than to anger; offereth often violence vnto himselfe l 1.11; and laboreth earnestlie to bring his bodie into the subiection of the Spirit m 1.12. And these things must not be deferred, but be done while we liue, and that with speede n 1.13. But we deceaue our selues through an inordinate desire of the flesh o 1.14.
That hel fire p 1.15, what else wil it burne but sinnes? The more thou hast loued thy selfe, and pampered thy flesh, the more shal be thy paines, and ye more substance to burne thee haste thou laie together q 1.16. For in what things a man hath sinned, in the same he shalbe punished r 1.17, according to the greatnes of the offence.
There idle persons shalbe pricked with burning forkes; gluttons there shalbe tormented wt extreeme hun∣ger, and thirst s 1.18; there epicures and voluptuous persons for their sweete
descriptionPage 60
delights shal haue burning pitch to boile them, and stinking brimstone to anoie them; the enuious there shal howle like mad dogs; & no vice but shal haue his torment. There the proude shal haue shame; and the co∣uetous churle shal haue miserable penurie.
To be short; one houre of paine in that place shalbe more greeuous, than al ye time they had in this world to amend their manners. For there is no rest t 1.19; comfort there is none: here sometime their sorowe ceassed, and sometime they receiued comfort of their freends.
Wherfore haue a care of thy selfe whilst thou art aliue, and bewaile thy sinnes, that in the daie of that iudgement thou maist safelie reioice with Gods elect u 1.20.
For then shal the righteous with great boldnes stand against such as haue vexed, and oppressed them x 1.21. Then shal he sit to iudge y 1.22, which now is content to be iudged of men. Then shal the poore z 1.23, and meeke a 1.24 triumph, when the proude shal quake on euerie side b 1.25. Then shal they saie, He was wise, which for Christ his sake seemed a foole and abiect c 1.26. Then
descriptionPage 61
shal the memorie of miserie patient∣lie susteined be sweete d 1.27, when in the meane while the wicked shal sob, and sigh e 1.28. Then shal the godlie reioice, and be glad, but the reprobate shal howle and weepe f 1.29. Then shal the af∣flicted more triumph, than if conti∣nualie he had bin in ioie g 1.30. Then shal the base apparel be glorious h 1.31, & the proude attire infamous. Then shal the poore cottage be more commen∣ded i 1.32, than is the gilded palace prai∣sed. Then shal constant patience more preuaile k 1.33 than al the power of the worlde. Simple obedience shal more be commended then, than al the subtiltie of man l 1.34. Then shal a cleere and good conscience more re∣ioice a man m 1.35, than profounde skil in Philosophie. The contempt of riches shal do more good n 1.36 then, than al the riches in the world. Then shal a ze∣lous praier bring more delight o 1.37, than euer did fine cates. Thy silence kept in thy life time shal more chere thy hart at that time p 1.38, than long bab∣ling q 1.39. Good workes then shalbe more respected r 1.40, than copie of sweet wordes. And then shal thy paines ta∣ken to reforme thy manners more delight s 1.41 than coulde al the pleasure
Wherefore learne in this life to suffer smal thingsu 1.43, that in the world to come thou maiest escape great, & greeuous dangers. Trie first in thy life time, what thou canst suffer after thou art dead. And if thou canst not endure but light things in compari∣son now, how wilt thou beare after∣ward euerlasting tormentes? And if now so litle paine can make thee im∣patient, what wil the fire of hel doo? For perswade thy self, thou canst not be twise happie, that is, enioie thy pleasure in this lifex 1.44, and raigne too with Christ in the worlde to come. Now suppose thou hast liued hether∣to in perpetual honor and pleasure, what good would these things doo thee, if thou shouldest die out of handy 1.45?
Seest thou not how al thinges are vainez 1.46, saue onelie to loue and to serue Goda 1.47?
For he which loueth God with al his hart, feareth neither death, nor paine, nor iudgement, nor damna∣tionb 1.48. For perfect loue maketh a man with boldnes to appeere afore Godc 1.49. But maruel it is not though, he which delighteth as yet in sinne d 1.50
descriptionPage 63
doo both feare death, and the daie of iudgement.
Notwithstanding, if the loue of God cannot allure thee vnto godli∣nes, yet let the feare of hel fire driue thee from wickednese 1.51. But if neither the loue of God, nor the feare of hel cannot better thee one iot, then looke not to stande in a good thing long, but quicklie to fal into the snares of Satan.