THOMAS À KEMPIS. THOMAS À KEMPIS, a German devotional writer, born at Kempen, whence his name, near Cologne, about 1380; died at the monastery of Mount St. Agnes, near Zwolle, in The Netherlands, July 25, 1471. At the age of thirteen he entered the school of "The Brothers of the Common Life" at Deventer. In 1400 he began his novitiate at the monastery of Mount St. Agnes; was ordered priest in 1413; and in 1425 was elected sub-prior of the monastery, having in charge the spiritual direction of the novices. In 1429 he and his brethren were forced to migrate to Lunekerke, in Friesland. They returned to Mount St. Agnes in 1432, when Brother Thomas was made treasurer of the monastery. In 1448 he was again chosen sub-prior, and held that post as long as he lived. He was a voluminous writer. A complete edition of his works, in Latin, was printed at Antwerp (third edition in 1615), and a translation into German by Silbert was published at Vienna in 1834. His "Imitation of Christ," one of the most famous of books, has been universally read and has moved the hearts of men of all nations, conditions and kinds, for four centuries. Its title describes its contents; it abounds in maxims of humility and resignation, and is such a book as only a man living the most uneventful of lives, withdrawn from the world and spent in contemplation, could have written. It is said that it has been translated into more languages than any other book except the Bible. A polyglot edition, in seven languages Latin, Italian, Spanish, French, German, English, and Greek, was published in 1837. It is divided into four books, entitled, respectively, "Admonitions Useful for a Spiritual Life," "Admonitions Tending to Things Internal," « Of Internal Consolations," and "Concerning the Sacrament." 66 THAT THE LOVERS OF THE CROSS OF JESUS ARE FEW. (From the "Imitation of Christ.") JESUS hath now many lovers of His heavenly kingdom, but few bearers of His cross. He hath many desirous of consolation, but few of tribulation. not find a higher way above, nor a safer way below, than the way of the holy cross. Dispose and order all things according to thy will and judgment; yet thou shalt ever find, that of necessity thou must suffer somewhat, either willingly or against thy will, and so thou shalt ever find the cross. For either thou shalt feel pain in thy body, or in thy soul thou shalt suffer tribulation. 4. Sometimes thou shalt be forsaken of God, sometimes thou shalt be troubled by thy neighbors; and, what is more, oftentimes thou shalt be wearisome to thyself. Neither canst thou be delivered or eased by any remedy or comfort; but so long as it pleaseth God, thou must bear it. For God will have thee learn to suffer tribulation without comfort; and that thou subject thyself wholly to Him, and by tribulation become more humble. No man hath so in his heart a sympathy with the passion of Christ, as he who hath suffered the like himself. The cross therefore is always ready, and everywhere waits for thee. Thou canst not escape it whithersoever thou runnest; for wheresoever thou goest, thou carriest thyself with thee, and shalt ever find thyself. Both above and below, without and within, which way soever thou dost turn thee, everywhere thou shalt find the cross; and everywhere of necessity thou must hold fast patience, if thou wilt have inward peace, and enjoy an everlasting crown. 5. If thou bear the cross cheerfully, it will bear thee, and lead thee to the desired end, namely, where there shall be an end of suffering, though here there shall not be. If thou bear it unwillingly, thou makest for thyself a burden, and increasest thy load, which yet notwithstanding thou must bear. If thou cast away one cross, without doubt thou shalt find another, and that perhaps more heavy. 6. Thinkest thou to escape that which no mortal man could ever avoid? Which of the saints in the world was without crosses and tribulation. For not even our Lord JESUS Christ was ever one hour without the anguish of His Passion, so long as He lived. "Christ" (saith He) "must needs suffer, and rise again from the dead, and so enter into His glory." And how dost thou seek any other way than this royal way, which is the way of the holy cross. 7. Christ's whole life was a cross and martyrdom: and dost thou seek rest and joy for thyself? Thou art deceived, thou art deceived if thou seek any other thing than to suffer tribulations; for this whole mortal life is full of miseries, and marked on every side with crosses. And the higher a person hath advanced in the Spirit, so much the heavier crosses he oftentimes findeth; because the grief of his banishment increaseth with his love to God. 8. Nevertheless this man, though so many ways afflicted, is not without refreshing comfort, for that he perceiveth very much benefit to accrue unto him by the bearing of his own cross. For whilst he willingly putteth himself under it, all the burden of tribulation is turned into the confidence of divine comfort. And the more the flesh is wasted by affliction, so much the more is the spirit strengthened by inward grace. And sometimes he is so comforted with the desire of tribulation and adversity, for the love of conformity to the cross of Christ, that he would not wish to be without grief and tribulation; because he believes that he shall be unto God so much the more acceptable, the more and the more grievous things he is permitted to suffer for Him. This is not the power of man, but it is the grace of Christ, which can and doth so much in frail flesh; so that what naturally it always abhors and flees from, that through fervor of spirit it encounters and loves. 9. It is not according to man's inclination to bear the cross, to love the cross, to chastise the body and bring it into subjection, to flee honors, willingly to suffer contumelies, to despise one's self and to wish to be despised, to endure all adversities and losses, and to desire no prosperity in this world. If thou look to thyself, thou shalt be able of thyself to accomplish nothing of this kind. But if thou trust in the Lord, strength shall be given thee from heaven, and the world and the flesh shall be made subject to thy command. Neither shalt thou fear thine enemy the devil, if thou be armed with faith, and signed with the cross of Christ. 10. Set thyself therefore, like a good and faithful servant of Christ, to bear manfully the cross of thy Lord, who out of love was crucified for thee. |