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

Chap. 25. Of the continual calling into minde the infinit blessings, and be∣nefits of God.

SERVANT.

O Lord, open thou the eies of my vnder∣standing a 1.1, and teach me to liue according to the rules of thy Lawe.

Grant that I may knowe thy wil, and with great reuerence, and pain∣fulnes, cal thy manifolde benefites conferred both vpon me, and al men into minde, that so I maie ren∣der

due praise vnto thee for the same b 1.2.

Albeit, to saie the truth, I cannot sufficientlie commend thee for the least of all thy benefites c 1.3; yea so vnable am I to extol thee dulie for them d 1.4, that when I consider thy li∣beralitie, I am vtterlie dismaied at the greatnes thereof.

For whatsoeuer we haue, belon∣ging either to the bodie, or to the soule, outwardlie or inwardlie, na∣turallie or otherwise, they are thy benefits, and cōmend thy bounte∣ousnes, and liberalitie e 1.5, of whom we haue receiued al good things f 1.6.

And although some haue moe than others, yet al is thine g 1.7, and without thee euen the least thing cannot be attained h 1.8.

Now if anie haue receiued greater gifts, he cannot brag of his owne merit, nor extol himselfe aboue o∣thers, nor despise his inferior i 1.9. For by so much is a man greater, and better, by howe much he ascribeth lesse to himselfe k 1.10, and is the mode∣ster in yeelding thanks. And y^e more vile and vnwoorthie a man iudgeth himselfe, the more capable is he of greater things l 1.11.

Againe he that hath fewer gifts, ought not to take it heauilie, nor to enuie his better m 1.12; but rather to cast his eies vpon heauen, and highlie to commend thy goodnes, who giuest thy gifts so abundantly, & so franklie without respect of persons n 1.13.

From thee we haue al o 1.14, and ther∣fore in al things thou art to be glori∣fied. What is meete for euerie man thou knowest; & why this man hath litle, and he much, it is not for vs, but for thee to iudge, who knowest what is necessarie for euerie man.

Therefore, my Lorde and God, I count it for a great benefite, to haue but fewe things which seeme glori∣ous, and praise-woorthie in the opi∣nion of man. And thus I thinke, that basenes, & pouertie should be so far from disquieting the minde, & bring∣ing downe a man, that they ought to be occasions of great comfort, and re∣ioicing, inasmuch as thou, God, doest choose the poore, humble, and despi∣sed in this world into the number of thy saincts, and seruants p 1.15.

As witnes thine Apostles, whome thou madest princes through al the earth q 1.16: who behaued themselues so modestlie, and showed foorth so litle

malice, and deceipt, that not onelie they absteined from complaining, but also reioiced to suffer rebuke for thy Name r 1.17: yea those things which we naturalie abhor, they did greedi∣lie embrace s 1.18.

So that nothing should so com∣fort, & reioice the hart of him which loueth thee, and confesseth thy good∣nes, as the knowledge of thine hea∣uenlie wil t 1.19, wherewith he ought so to content himselfe, that he desire as greatlie to be of smal, as another doth to be of great accompt; and take as wel in woorth the lowest place, as the hiest roome, and to be despised and contemned; as to be honored, and extolled aboue al u 1.20. For more should he desire to haue thy wil done x 1.21, and thine honor aduanced, than anie thing besides y 1.22; yea more plea∣sure should he take therein thā in any thing els, which either he hath alrea∣die, or maie haue z 1.23.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Ps. 119, 18. 17.
• b 1.2

  Psal. 26, 7.
• c 1.3

  Eccl. 18, 4.
• d 1.4

  Psal. 40, 5.
• e 1.5

  Psalm. 33, verse. 6, &c. 1. Corin. 12, verse. 8, &c.
• f 1.6

  Iam. 1, 17.
• g 1.7

  Matth. 25, vers. 14, &c.
• h 1.8

  Ioh. 3, 27.
• i 1.9

  1. Cor. 4, 6. 7.
• k 1.10

  Mat. 11, 29
• l 1.11

  Mat. 23, 11 12. Luk. 18, 13. 14.
• m 1.12

  Iam. 4, 2.
• n 1.13

  Matt. 5, 45 Luke. 6, 35.
• o 1.14

  1. Cor. 4, 6, &c. Iames. 1, 17.
• p 1.15

  Psa. 113, 7. 8. Matth. 5, 3. 1. Cor. 1, 26. 27. 28.
• q 1.16

  Ps. 45, 16.
• r 1.17

  Acts. 5, 41.
• s 1.18

  1. Thess. 2, verse. 15. 2. Co. 11, 23 24, &c.
• t 1.19

  Iere. 9, 23, 24. 1. Cor. 1, 31.
• u 1.20

  Matth. 20, verse. 25. 26. 27. Luk. 22, 25. 26. 27.
• x 1.21

  Mat. 6, 10. Mat. 26, 39. 42. 44.
• y 1.22

  1. Iohn. 2, verse. 15. 16. 17.
• z 1.23

  Rom. 8, 35 36, &c.