Top 319 Quotes & Sayings by Thomas a Kempis - Page 3

My God, Sweetness beyond words, make bitter all the carnal comfort that draws me from love of the eternal and lures me to its evil self by the sight of some delightful good in the present. Let it not overcome me, my God. Let not flesh and blood conquer me. Let not the world and its brief glory deceive me, nor the devil trip me by his craftiness. Give me courage to resist, patience to endure, and constancy to persevere. Give me the soothing unction of Your spirit rather than all the consolations of the world, and in place of carnal love, infuse into me the love of Your name.

Simplicity is the intention, purity in the affection; simplicity turns to God, purity unites with and enjoys him.

In the morning fix thy good purpose; and at night examine thyself what thou hast done, how thou hast behaved thyself in word, deed, and thought.

Let temporal things serve thy use, but the eternal be the object of thy desire.

Blessed is the pilgrim, who in every place, and at all times of this his banishment in the body, calling upon the holy name of Jesus, calleth to mind his native heavenly land, where his blessed Master, the King of saints and angels, waiteth to receive him. Blessed is the pilgrim who seeketh not an abiding place unto himself in this world; but longeth to be dissolved, and be with Christ in heaven.

He who loveth God with all his heart feareth not death, nor punishment, nor judgment, nor hell, because perfect love giveth sure access to God. But he who still delighteth in sin, no marvel if he is afraid of death and judgment.

Blessed are the simple, for they shall have much peace.

Love is a great thing, yea, a great and thorough good. By itself it makes what is heavy light; and bears evenly all that is uneven.

Study to do another's will rather than thine own. Choose ever to have less rather than more. Seek ever the lower place and to be subject to all; ever wish and pray that the will of God may be perfectly done in thee and in all. Behold such a man enters the bounds of peace and calm.

A wise and good man will turn examples of all sorts to his own advantage. The good he will make his patterns, and strive to equal or excel them. The bad he will by all means avoid.

Simplicity reaches out after God; purity discovers and enjoys Him.

It thou seek rest in this life, how wilt thou then attain to the everlasting rest? Dispose not thyself for much rest, but for great patience. Seek true peace--not in earth, but in heaven; not in men, nor in any other creature, but in God alone.

If you bear the cross unwillingly, you make it a burden, and load yourself more heavily; but you must bear it.

So passes away the glory of this world. ('Sic transit gloria mundi.')

A sure way of retaining the grace of heaven is to disregard outward appearances, and diligently to cultivate such things as foster amendment of life and fervour of soul, rather than to cultivate those qualities that seem most popular.

Forasmuch as many people study more to have knowledge than to live well therefore ofttimes they err and bring forth little fruit or none.

O Lord, you know what is best for me. Let this or that be done, as you please. Give what you will, how much you will, and when you will.

If you seek Jesus in all things you will surely find Jesus. And if you seek yourself, you will surely find yourself, but only to your ruin.

Endeavor to be patient in bearing with the defects and infirmities of others, of what sort 'soever they be; for that thyself also has many failings which must be borned with by others.

If you bear the cross gladly, it will bear you.

Some people are tempted most strongly at the beginning of their spiritual life, others near the end. Some are troubled all their lives. Still others receive only light temptation. Such things are decided by God, and we can trust his wisdom.

For it is the grace of Christ, and not our own virtue, that gives us the power to overcome the flesh and the world.

Grace is the mastery of truth, the teacher of discipline, the light of the heart, the comforter of affliction, the banisher of sorrow, the nurse of devotion.

All earthly joy begins pleasantly, but at the end it gnaws and kills.

It is much safer to be subject than it is to command. Many live in obedience more from necessity than from love. Such become discontented and dejected on the slightest pretext; they will never gain peace of mind unless they subject themselves wholeheartedly for the love of God.

Know all and you will pardon all.

There is no creature so small and abject, that it representeth not the goodness of God.

I have sought for happiness everywhere, but I have found it nowhere except in a little corner with a little book.

The better you understand yourself the less cause you will find to love yourself.

Christ was willing to suffer wrongs and to be despised, and do you dare to complain of anything?.

Happy is the man who renounces everything which may bring a stain or burden upon his conscience

He is truly great that is great in charity. He is truly great that is little in himself, and maketh no account of any height of honor. And he is truly learned that doeth the will of God, and forsaketh his own will.

A lover of Jesus and of the truth can lift himself above himself in spirit.

Let nothing disturb thee, Let nothing affright thee; All passeth away: God only shall stay. Patience wins all: Who hath God, needeth nothing; For God is his All.

Let this be thy whole endeavor, this thy prayer, this thy desire,-that thou mayest be stripped of all selfishness, and with entire simplicity follow Jesus only.

The good devout man first makes inner preparation for the actions he has later to perform. His outward actions do not draw him into lust and vice; rather it is he who bends them into the shape of reason and right judgement. Who has a stiffer battle to fight than the man who is striving to conquer himself.

Renounce all things, and thou shalt find all things; give up thy lust, and thou shalt find rest.

If you would endeavor, like men of courage, to stand in the battle, surely we would feel the favorable assistance of God from heaven. For he who give the us occasion to fight, to the end we may get the victory, is ready to succor those that fight manfully, and do trust in his grace.

God deceiveth thee not.

Do not read to satisfy curiosity or to pass the time, but study such things as move your heart to devotion.

If your heart were sincere and upright, every creature would be unto you a looking-glass of life and a book of holy doctrine.

Of what use is a long life, if we amend so little? Alas, a long life often adds to our sins rather than to our virtue!

Habit is overcome by habit. [Lat., Consuetudo consuetudine vincitur.]

If thou hadst a good conscience thou wouldst not greatly fear death.

Love is watchful. Sleeping, it does not slumber. Wearied, it is not tired. Pressed, it is not straitened. Alarmed, it is not confused, but like a living flame, a burning torch, it forces its way upward and passes unharmed through every obstacle.

We are often moved with passion and think it to be zeal.

As iron cast into fire loses its rust and becomes glowing white, so he who turns completely to God is stripped of his sluggishness and changed into a new man.

He that loveth, flieth, runneth, and rejoiceth. He is free, and cannot be held in. He giveth all for all, and hath all in all, because he resteth in one highest above all things, from whom all that is good flows and proceeds.

When comfort is withdrawn, do not be cast down, but humbly and patiently await the visitation of God. He is able and powerful to give you more grace and more spiritual comfort than you first had.

Oh how swiftly the glory of the world passes away! If only the lives of these men had been as admirable as their learning, their study and reading would have been to good purpose! But how many in this world care little for the service of God, and perish in their vain learning. Because they choose to be great rather than humble, they perish in their own conceit.

Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble, attempts what is above its strength.... It is therefore able to undertake all things, and it completes many things, and warrants them to take effect, where he who does not love would faint and lie down.

Thou shalt rest sweetly if thy heart condemn thee not.

The reflections on a day well spent furnish us with joys more pleasing than ten thousand triumphs.

The more spiritual a man desires to be, the more bitter does his present life become to him; because he sees more clearly and perceives more sensibly the defects of human corruption.

Always be thou prepared, and so live that death may never find thee unprepared.

He is truly great who hath a great charity.

Do not be influenced by the importance of the writer, and whether his learning be great or small, but let the love of pure truth draw you to read. Do not inquire, Who said this? but pay attention to what is said.

Occasions of adversity best discover how great virtue or strength each one hath. For occasions do not make a man frail, but they show what he is.

For nothing, how little soever, that is suffered for God's sake, can pass without merit in the sight of God.

Cling, therefore, to Jesus in life and death; trust yourself to the glory of Him who alone can help you when all others fail.