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

Chapter. 1. Of the inward life of man.

THe kingdome of God is within saith Christa 1.1.

Turne thee vnto the Lorde with al thine heart, hauing forsaken this wretched worlde, and thou shalt finde rest for thy souleb 1.2.

Learne to contemne outwarde thingsc 1.3, and to addict thy selfe to spi∣ritual; so shalt thou perceaue the kingdome of God to come into thee.

For the kingdome of God is righ∣teousnes, and peace, and ioie in the holie Ghostd 1.4, which the wicked en∣ioie note 1.5.

Christ wil come vnto thee, & com∣fort theef 1.6, if thou make a fit resting place for him within thee. For al his glorie, and beautie is withing 1.7; there doth he gladlie abide.

With the inner man doth he of∣tentimes

walke; and reason sweetelie; and delight himselfe pleasantlie; and agree notablie; and familiarlie con∣tinueh 1.8.

Go to now, O faithful soule, pre∣pare thine hart for this bridgroomei 1.9, that he may come vnto thee, & dwel within thee. For thus he saithk 1.10, If a∣nie man loue me, he wil keepe my worde, and my Father wil loue him, and we wil come vnto him, and wil dwel with him.

Wherefore keepe out others, and let Christ haue roome: if thou hast him, thou hast enoughl 1.11. For he wil haue a care of thee, and so faithfulie ouersee al thine affaires, that to put anie confidence in man thou shalt not needem 1.12.

For men quicklie are changed, and speedilie departen 1.13: but Christ abi∣deth for euero 1.14, and continueth by his vnto the endep 1.15. Neither set any great affiance on mortal and fraile man, al∣beit he be deere vnto thee, and maie doe thee goodq 1.16; and if sometime he gainesaie, and troble thee, be not o∣uer pensiue.

They which take thy part to daie, to morowe maie be thine enimies, & afterward thy frends: for they change

manie-times like the winde.

But put thy confidence in y^e Lordr 1.17, and see thou serue, and loue hims 1.18: he wil handle thy cause right wel, and set it in good ordert 1.19.

Here thou hast no continuing cit∣tieu 1.20, & wheresoeuer thou goest, thou art a stranger, and pilgrime x 1.21, neuer finding rest til thou art fast ioined vnto Christy 1.22.

Why doest thou here gaze about, seing this is not the place of thine a∣bode? In heauen should be thy con∣uersationz 1.23, as for earthly things thou shouldest behold them onelie to see how they passe awaiea 1.24, and thou with themb 1.25. So looke vpō them, that thou loue them notc 1.26, least thou perish be∣ing taken with vaine delight.

Cast thy cogitations vpon the most hie Godd 1.27; & praie vnto Christ with∣out ceassinge 1.28.

If thou canst not meditate on deepe and heauenlie mysteries, rest thy self in the paines of Christ, and abide wil∣linglie in his woundsf 1.29. Run thou ze∣louslie vnto those healthful wounds, and stripes of Christ, and thou shalt finde a great comfort in aduersitie, yea thou shalt not set a rush by the re∣proches of men, but take al slaunders

in good partg 1.30.

Christ himselfe was despised of men in this worldh 1.31; yea at a great ex∣tremitie his verie freendes forsooke him, and fledi 1.32. Christ himselfe suffe∣red, and was contemnedk 1.33; and wilt thou complaine? Christ himselfe had aduersaries, and backbiters l 1.34; and wouldest thou haue no enimies, nor be il spoken of?

How shal thy patience be crowned, if thou sustaine no aduersitie m 1.35? And if thou wilt not be contraried in anie thing, how wilt thou be the freend of Christ n 1.36? But make thou an account to suffer tribulation both with Christ o 1.37, and for Christ p 1.38, if thou desire to raigne with Christ q 1.39.

Oh haddest thou but once entered into the secrete closet of Iesus, and felt but euen a verie litle of the heat of his loue, thou wouldest not onelie make none account either of prospe∣ritie, or aduersitie in this worldr 1.40, but also euen reioice when thou art de∣fameds 1.41! For the loue of Christ makes a man euen to despise himselfe t 1.42.

I saie the true spiritual man, which is voide of inordinate desires, and lo∣ueth Iesus vnfeinedlie, can both turne himselfe freelie vnto God, and

rauished in spirit aboue himselfe, quietlie enioie him u 1.43.

He, to whome al things seeme as they are in deede, not as they are esteemed in y^e vaine opinion of man, is doubtles a wise man, and rather taught of God x 1.44, than of men.

He that hath learned to abide within, and to make smal account of outward thinges, neither seeketh a place y 1.45, nor expecteth leisure to exer∣cise himselfe in godlines z 1.46. The in∣warde man can quicklie cal himselfe home, inasmuch as he neuer is alto∣gether abroade. Neither outward la∣bor can let him, nor necessarie busi∣nes staie him for a time: but as euery thing falleth out, so doth he applie himselfe a 1.47.

He that is wel prepared, and refor∣med inwardlie, is nothing trobled with the wonderful, and peruerse be∣hauiour of the worlde b 1.48. Looke how greatlie a man draweth busines vnto himselfe, so much is he hindred, and distracted.

Wert thou wel setled, & through∣lie purged, al things would be for thy good, and profite c 1.49. But for that thou art not plainlie dead vnto thy selfe d 1.50, nor separated wholie from earthlie

things, manie things displease, and troble thee often-times.

Nothing doth so defile, and snarle the minde of man, as the impure de∣sire of earthlie things e 1.51.

Wherefore if thou wilt despise the consolation which this world doth minister f 1.52, thou shalt more easilie both behold celestial things, and in∣wardlie reioice.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Luk. 17, 21
• b 1.2

  Psal. 4, 8. Psalm. 15, 1. Matt. 11, 29.
• c 1.3

  Luke. 17, verse. 20. 21.
• d 1.4

  Ro. 14, 17.
• e 1.5

  Esai. 57, 21
• f 1.6

  Iohn. 14, 23
• g 1.7

  Psa. 45, 13
• h 1.8

  Prouer. 8, vers. 32, &c.
• i 1.9

  Sal. song. 5, verse. 4. 2. Cor. 11, 2
• k 1.10

  Ioh. 14, 23
• l 1.11

  Rom. 8, 17 Philip. 3, 8.
• m 1.12

  Psa. 37, 3. 34. 39. Hebr. 13, 6.
• n 1.13

  Psal. 62, 9 Psal. 39, 11. Psal. 116, 10. 11.
• o 1.14

  Heb. 13, 8.
• p 1.15

  Matt. 28, verse. 20.
• q 1.16

  Psa. 118, 8 9▪
• r 1.17

  1. Pet. 5, 7. Psal. 43, 5.
• s 1.18

  Matth. 22, verse. 37. Mark. 12, 29 30.
• t 1.19

  Ps. 73, 24.
• u 1.20

  Heb. 13, 14
• x 1.21

  Heb. 11, 13 vers. 14, &c.
• y 1.22

  Ephe. 2, 19
• z 1.23

  Phil. 3, 20
• a 1.24

  1. Cor. 7, 31 1. Iohn. 2, 17
• b 1.25

  Psal. 90, 5 verse. 6, &c.
• c 1.26

  1. Iohn. 2, verse. 15. 16.
• d 1.27

  1. Pet 5, 7
• e 1.28

  Psa. 55, 16 17. Luke. 18, 1. Coloss. 4, 2. 1. Thess. 5, verse. 17.
• f 1.29

  1. Pet. 2, vers. 21, &c. 1. Pet. 4, 13.
• g 1.30

  1. Pe. 2, 19 20. 1. Pet. 3. 9, 14.
• h 1.31

  Psal. 22, 6. Matt. 27, 31 Iohn. 15, 18. 19. 20. Hebr. 12, 2. 3.
• i 1.32

  Mat. 26, 56 70. 72.
• k 1.33

  Esaie. 53, verse. 3, &c. Luk. 18, 32.
• l 1.34

  1 Pet. 2, 23 24.
• m 1.35

  2. Tim. 2, 3 4. 5.
• n 1.36

  Ioh. 15, 13 14. 20.
• o 1.37

  Rom. 8, 17
• p 1.38

  1. Pe. 4, 14
• q 1.39

  2. Tim. 2, verse. 11. 12.
• r 1.40

  Luke. 5, 11 Luke. 9, 23.
• s 1.41

  Acts. 5, 41.
• t 1.42

  Roman. 8, vers. 35, &c. Philip. 3, 8.
• u 1.43

  Phil. 3, 20.
• x 1.44

  Esa. 54, 13. Iohn. 6, 65.
• y 1.45

  1. Tim. 2, 8
• z 1.46

  Galat. 6, 9. 10. 1. Thess. 3, 10
• a 1.47

  Rom. 8, 38 39.
• b 1.48

  Psal. 56, 4. 1. Cor. 4, 3.
• c 1.49

  Rom. 8, 28
• d 1.50

  1. Pet. 2, 1. 2, 3. Coloss. 3, 5.
• e 1.51

  Titus. 2, 12
• f 1.52

  1. Ioh. 2, 15