Thomas a Kempis
Thomas a Kempis
Thomas à Kempis, C.R.S.A.; c. 1380 – 25 July 1471) was a Dutch canon regular of the late medieval period and the author of The Imitation of Christ, one of the most popular and best known Christian books on devotion. His name means Thomas "of Kempen", his hometown, and in German he is known as Thomas von Kempen. He also is known by various spellings of his family name: Thomas Haemerken; Thomas Hammerlein; Thomas Hemerken and Thomas Hämerken...
NationalityGerman
ProfessionClergyman
CountryGermany
giving sensual desire
Anyone who is not totally dead to himself will soon find that he is tempted and overcome by piddling and frivolous things. Whoever is weak in spirit, given to the flesh and inclined to sensual things can, but only with great difficulty, drag himself away from his earthly desires. Therefore he is often gloomy and sad when he is trying to pull himself away from them, and easily gives way to anger should someone attempt to oppose him.
reading writing laziness
Never be entirely idle; but either be reading, or writing, or praying or meditating or endeavoring something for the public good.
said notes has-beens
Seek not to know who said this or that, but take note of what has been said.
order temptation secret
No one is so good that he is immune from temptation. We will never be entirely free from it. . . . There is no order so holy, no place so secret where there will be no temptation.
character honor height
He is truly great that is little in himself, and that maketh no account of any height of honors.
faith cutting anxiety
Oh, how great peace and quietness would he possess who should cut off all vain anxiety and place all his confidence in God.
grace able persons
To be able to live peaceably with hard and perverse persons, or with the disorderly, or with such as go contrary to us, is a great grace.
scary
It is much safer to obey than to rule.
men
No man ruleth safely but he that is willingly ruled.
morning night deeds
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.
men sound daring
Too many instances there are of daring men, who by presuming to sound the deep things of religion, have cavilled and argued themselves out of all religion.
grief heart hands
Let not therefore thy heart be troubled, neither let it fear. Trust in me, and put thy confidence in my mercy. When thou thinkest thyself farthest off from me, oftentimes I am nearest unto thee. When thou countest almost all to be lost, then oftentimes the greatest gain of reward is close at hand. All is not lost, when any thing falleth out contrary. Thou oughtest not to judge according to present feeling; nor so to take any grief, or give thyself over to it.
heart soul lovers
Ah, Lord God, thou holy lover of my soul, when thou comest into my heart, all that is within me shall rejoice.
men madness proportion
A man is hindered and distracted in proportion as he draws outward things to himself.