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The Imitation of Christ
Thomas à Kempis
The Fortieth Chapter
MAN HAS NO GOOD IN HIMSELF AND CAN GLORY IN NOTHING
THE DISCIPLE
LORD, what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You visit
him? What has man deserved that You should give him Your grace? What cause have
I, Lord, to complain if You desert me, or what objection can I have if You do
not do what I ask? This I may think and say in all truth: "Lord, I am nothing,
of myself I have nothing that is good; I am lacking in all things, and I am ever
tending toward nothing. And unless I have Your help and am inwardly strengthened
by You, I become quite lukewarm and lax."
But You, Lord, are always the same. You remain forever, always good, just, and
holy; doing all things rightly, justly, and holily, disposing them wisely. I,
however, who am more ready to go backward than forward, do not remain always in
one state, for I change with the seasons. Yet my condition quickly improves when
it pleases You and when You reach forth Your helping hand. For You alone,
without human aid, can help me and strengthen me so greatly that my heart shall
no more change but be converted and rest solely in You. Hence, if I knew well
how to cast aside all earthly consolation, either to attain devotion or because
of the necessity which, in the absence of human solace, compels me to seek You
alone, then I could deservedly hope for Your grace and rejoice in the gift of
new consolation.
Thanks be to You from Whom all things come, whenever it is well with me. In Your
sight I am vanity and nothingness, a weak, unstable man. In what, therefore, can
I glory, and how can I wish to be highly regarded? Is it because I am nothing?
This, too, is utterly vain. Indeed, the greatest vanity is the evil plague of
empty self-glory, because it draws one away from true glory and robs one of
heavenly grace. For when a man is pleased with himself he displeases You, when
he pants after human praise he is deprived of true virtue. But it is true glory
and holy exultation to glory in You and not in self, to rejoice in Your name
rather than in one's own virtue, and not to delight in any creature except for
Your sake.
Let Your name, not mine, be praised. Let Your work, not mine, be magnified. Let
Your holy name be blessed, but let no human praise be given to me. You are my
glory. You are the joy of my heart. In You I will glory and rejoice all the day,
and for myself I will glory in nothing but my infirmities.
Let the Jews seek the glory that comes from another. I will seek that which
comes from God alone. All human glory, all temporal honor, all worldly position
is truly vanity and foolishness compared to Your everlasting glory. O my Truth,
my Mercy, my God, O Blessed Trinity, to You alone be praise and honor, power and
glory, throughout all the endless ages of ages.
