The glory of a good man is the testimony of a good conscience.[1]
Have a good conscience, and thou shalt ever have joy.
A goof conscience is able to bear very much, and is very cheerful in adversities.
An evil conscience is always fearful and unquiet.[2]
Thou shalt rest sweetly, if thy heart do not condemn thee.
Never rejoice but when thou hast done well.
Sinners have never true joy, nor feel inward peace; because “there is no peace for the wicked,” saith the Lord.[3]
If they should say, ”We are in peace, no evil shall fall upon us,[4] and who shall dare to hurt us?” believe them not; for upon a sudden will arise the wrath of God, and their deeds shall be brought to naught, and their thoughts shall perish.
2. To glory in tribulation, is no hard ting for him that loveth: for so to glory, is to glory in the cross of the Lord.[5]
That glory is short which is given and received from men.[6]
Sorrow always accompanieth the world’s glory.
The glory of the good is in their consciences, and not in the mouths of men. The gladness of the just is of God,[7] and in God; and their joy is of the truth.
He that desireth true and everlasting glory, careth not for what is temporal.
And he that seeketh temporal glory, or despises it not from his heart, showeth himself but little to love the glory of Heaven.
He enjoyeth great tranquility of mind, that careth neither for the praises nor dispraises of men.
3. He will easily be content and pacified, whose conscience is pure.
Thou art not the more holy, though thou be praised; nor the more worthless, though thou be dispraised.
What thou art, that thou art; neither canst thou be said to be greater than what thou art in the sight of God.
If thou consider what thou art within thee, thou wilt not care what men say of thee. Man looketh on the countenance, but God on the heart.[8] Man considereth the deeds, but God weighteth the intentions.
To be always doing well, and to esteem little of himself, is the sign of an humble soul.
Not to look for comfort by any creature, is a sign of great purity and inward confidence.
4. He that seeketh no witness for himself from without, doth show that he hath wholly committed himself unto God.
“For not he that commendeth himself, the same is approved,” saith Paul,”but whom God commendeth.”[9]
To walk inwardly with God, and not to be kept by any outward affection, is the state of a spiritual man.
(From Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, book 2 Chapter 6)
No comments:
Post a Comment