Of the Imitation of Christ/Book III/Chapter XLII
CHAPTER XLII.
THAT OUR PEACE IS NOT TO BE SET ON MEN.
F thou rest thy peace on any because of the opinion thou hast of him, or because of thine intimate acquaintance with him, thou shalt ever be inconstant.
But if thou have recourse unto the everliving and abiding Truth, the departure or death of a friend will not grieve thee.
Thy regard for thy friend ought to be grounded in Me; and for My sake is he to be beloved, whosoever he be that thou thinkest well of, and who is very dear unto thee in this life.
Without Me friendship hath no strength, and no continuance; neither is that love true and pure, which is not knit by Me.
Thou oughtest to be so dead to affections towards thy friends, that thou shouldst be willing to be without all human friendship.
Man approacheth so much the nearer unto God, the farther he departeth from all earthly comfort.
And the lower he descendeth in himself, and the meaner he becometh in his own sight, the higher he ascendeth to God.
But he that attributeth any good unto himself, hindereth the entry of God's grace; for the grace of the Holy Spirit ever seeketh an humble heart.
If thou couldest perfectly annihilate thyself, and empty thyself of all created love, then should I be constrained to flow into thee with great abundance of grace.
When thou lookest unto the creature, the sight of the Creator is withdrawn from thee.
Learn in all things to overcome thyself, for the love of thy Creator, and then shalt thou be able to attain to divine knowledge.
How small soever anything be, if it be inordinately loved and regarded, it keepeth thee back from the highest good.