The imitation of Christ divided into four books / written in Latin by Thomas à Kempis ; and the translations of it corrected & amended by W.P.

CHAP. V.

Of the wonderfull effect of di∣vine grace.

I Praise thee O heavenly Father, Fa∣ther of my Lord Iesus Christ, for

that thou hast vouchsafed to remember me a poore and wretched creature.

2 O Father of mercies and God of all comfort, thanks be unto thee, who sometimes with thy comfort re∣freshest me unworthy of all comfort.

3 I ever blesse and glorify thee with thy only begotten Son, and the holy Ghost the comforter for ever and ever.

4 O God my Lord, the holy lo∣ver of my soule, when thou shalt come into my heart, all that is within me will rejoyce.

5 Thou art my glory and the exul∣tation of my heart; thou art my hope, and my refuge in the day of my tribu∣lation.

6 But because I am yet weak in love, and imperfect in vertue, therefore I have need to be strengthned & com∣forted by thee.

7 Visit me therefore often, and in∣struct me with thy holy discipline, de∣liver me from evill passions, and heale my heart of all mordinate affections, that being cured within, and well pur∣ged throughout, I may be made fit to love, strong to suffer, and constant to perseaere.

8 Love is a great matter, in very truth a great good, which alone mak∣eth every thing that is heavy to be light, and beareth equally all that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 unequall.

9 For it carrieth a burthen with∣out any burthen, and maketh every thing that is bitter to be sweet and sa∣vory.

10 The noble loue of Iesus en∣forceth man to worke great things, and stirreth him up to desire alwaies the most perfect.

11 Love will be aloft, and not kept downe with any abject things. Love will be free, and a stranger to all worldly affection.

12 That his inward sight be not obscured, that he be not intangled with the desire of any transitory game: or troubled with the want thereof.

13 Nothing is sweeter then love, nothing stronger, nothing higher, no∣thing more ample, nothing more plea∣sant, nothing fuller nor better in hea∣ven or in earth.

14 For that love hath his begin∣ing from God, and cannot rest but in God above all creatures.

15 He that loveth, flyeth, runneth, and rejoyceth; he is free and not held in. He giveth all for all, and hath all in all, for that he resteth in one Highest above all, from which all good floweth, and proceedeth.

16 He respecteth not the gifts, but turneth himselfe above all goods unto the giver. Love oftentimes knoweth no measure, but enflameth aboue all measure.

17 Love feeleth no burthen, weigh∣eth no paines, desireth above its strength, complaineth not of impossi∣bility, for that it thinketh all things lawfull, and possible.

18 It is therefore able to under∣take all things, and performeth and bringeth many things to effect: where∣as he that doth not love, fainteth and can doe nothing.

19 Love alwaies watcheth, and slumbring sleepeth not: being wearied, is not tired: straitned is not pressed: frighted, is not troubled: but like a lively ••lame, and burning torch, bre••k∣eth upwards, and passeth through all with great security.

20 If any one loveth, he knowes

what this voice cryeth, a loud cry in the eares of God, is the burning love of the ••oule, which saith, My God, my love thou art wholly mine, and I am whol∣ly thine.

21 Enlarge me in love, that my heart may tast how sweet it is to love, and to be dissolved, and swimme as it were in the streames of love.

22 Let me be possessed by 〈◊〉〈◊〉, mounting above my selfe, with exces∣sive fervor, and admiration.

23 Let me sing the song of love, let me follow thee on high, my beloved, let my soule faint in thy praises, rejoy∣cing with love.

24 Let me love thee more then my selfe, and not my selfe, but for thee, and all in thee that truly love thee, as the law of love commandeth which shineth from thee.

25 Love is swift, sincere, pious, sweet and delightfull: strong, patient, faithfull, prudent, suffering, full of cou∣rage, and never seeking it selfe.

26 For where one seeketh him∣selfe, there he falleth from love. Love is circ••mspect, humble and upright: not remisse, not mutable, nor attending un∣to

vaine things; sober, chast, constant, quiet, and guarded in all the senses.

27 Love is subject, and obedient to Superiours, mean and abject to it selfe, devout and thankfull unto God, trusting and hoping alwaies in him, e∣ven then when God imparteth no sweetnesse unto it: for without sorrow none liveth in love.

28 He that is not ready to suffer all things, and stande to the will of his beloved, is not worthy to be called a lover.

29 A lover ought to imbrace wil∣lingly all that is hard, and distastfull for his beloved, and not to turne away from him, for any contrary occurren∣cies.