Of the Imitation of Christ/Book II/Chapter XII
CHAPTER XII.
OF THE ROYAL WAY OF THE HOLY CROSS.
NTO many this seemeth a hard speech, "Deny thyself, take up thy cross, and follow Jesus."
But much harder will it be to hear that last word, "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire."
For they who now willingly hear and follow the word of the cross, shall not then fear to hear the sentence of everlasting damnation.
This sign of the cross, shall be in the heaven, when the Lord shall come to judgment.
Then all the servants of the cross, who in their lifetime conformed themselves unto Christ crucified, shall draw near unto Christ the judge with great confidence.
2. Why therefore fearest thou to take up the cross which leadeth thee to a kingdom?
In the cross is salvation, in the cross is life, in the cross is protection against our enemies, in the cross is infusion of heavenly sweetness, in the cross is strength of mind, in the cross joy of spirit, in the cross the height of virtue, in the cross the perfection of sanctity.
There is no salvation of the soul, nor hope of everlasting life, but in the cross.
Take up therefore thy cross and follow Jesus, and thou shalt go into life everlasting. He went before, bearing His cross, and died for thee on the cross; that thou mayest also bear thy cross and desire to die on the cross with Him.
For if thou be dead with Him, thou shalt also live with Him. And if thou be His companion in punishment, thou shalt be partaker with Him also in glory.
3. Behold! in the cross all doth consist, and all lieth in our dying thereon; for there is no other way unto life, and unto true inward peace, but the way of the holy cross, and of daily mortification.
Go where thou wilt, seek whatsoever thou wilt, thou shalt 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 neighbours; and, what is more, oftentimes thou shalt be wearisome to thyself.
Neither canst thou be delivered or eased by any remedy or comfort; for 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 in his heart a sympathy with the passion of Christ, so much as he who hath suffered the like himself.
The cross therefore is always ready, and every where waits for thee.
Thou canst not escape it whithersoever thou runneth; for wheresoever thou goeth, thou carriest thyself with thee, and shalt ever find thyself.
Both above and below, without and within, which way soever thou dost turn thee, every where thou shalt find the cross; and every where 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 new burden, and increasest thy load, which yet notwithstanding thou must bear it.
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, with crosses on every side.
And the higher a person hath advanced in the Spirit, so much the heavier he findeth crosses; 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 by fervour 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 honours, willingly to suffer contumelies, to despise 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, He shall give thee strength, 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.
Prepare thyself to bear many adversities and divers kinds of troubles in this miserable life; for so it will be with thee, wheresoever thou art, and so surely thou shalt find it, wheresoever thou hide thyself.
So it must be; nor is there any remedy nor means to escape from tribulation and sorrow, but only to endure them.
Drink of the Lord's cup with hearty affection, if thou desire to be His friend, and to have part with Him.
As for comforts, leave them to God; let Him do therein as shall best please Him.
But do thou set thyself to suffer tribulation, and account them the greatest comforts; for the sufferings of this present time, although thou alone couldst suffer them all, cannot worthily deserve the glory which is to come.
11. When thou shalt come to this estate, that tribulation, shall seem sweet, and thou shalt relish it for Christ's sake; then think it to be well with thee, for thou hast found a paradise upon earth.
As long as it is grievous to thee to suffer, and thou desirest to escape, so long shalt thou be ill at ease, and the desire of escaping tribulation will follow thee every where.
12. If thou dost set thyself to that thou oughtest, namely, to suffering and to death, it will quickly be better with thee, and thou shalt find peace.
Although thou shouldst have been wrapt even unto the third heaven with Paul, thou art not by this secured that thou shalt suffer no adversity. "I will shew him" (saith Jesus) "how great things he must suffer for My name."
It remaineth therefore, that thou suffer, if it please thee to love Jesus, and to constantly serve Him.
13. O that thou wert worthy to suffer something for the name of Jesus! How great glory would remain unto thyself; what joy would arise to all God's saints; how great edification also to thy neighbour!
For all men recommend patience; few, however, they are who are willing to suffer.
With great reason oughtest thou cheerfully to suffer some little for Christ's sake; since many suffer more grievous things for the world.
14. Know for certain that thou oughtest to lead a dying life. And the more any man dieth to himself, so much the more doth he begin to live unto God.
No man is fit to comprehend things heavenly, unless he submit himself to the bearing of adversities for Christ's sake.
Nothing is more acceptable to God, nothing more wholesome to thee in this world, than that thou suffer cheerfully for Christ.
And if thou couldst choose, thou oughtest rather to wish to suffer adversities for Christ, than to be refreshed with many consolations; because thou wouldst thus be more like unto Christ, and more conformable to all the saints.
For our worthiness and the growth of our spiritual estate consisteth not in many sweetnesses and comforts; but rather in the patient enduring of great afflictions and tribulations.
15. Indeed, if there had been any better thing, and more profitable to man's salvation, than suffering, surely Christ would have shewed it by word and example.
For both the disciples that followed Him, and also all who desire to follow Him, He plainly exhorteth to the bearing of the cross, and saith, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."
So that when we have thoroughly read and searched all, let this be the final conclusion. "That through much tribulation we must enter unto the kingdom of God."