Of the Imitation of Christ/Book III/Chapter XXXIV
CHAPTER XXXIV.
THAT GOD IS PRECIOUS, ABOVE ALL THINGS, TO HIM THAT LOVETH HIM.
EHOLD! my God, and my All. What would I more, and what greater happiness do I desire?
O sweet and delightful word! but to him only that loveth the word, not the world nor the things that are in the world.
"My God, and my all!" To him that understandeth, enough is said; and to repeat it again and again, is pleasant to him that loveth.
For when Thou art present, all things are delightful; but when Thou art absent, every thing becomes irksome.
Thou givest quietness of heart and peace, and pleasant joy.
Thou makest us to take delight in all things, and in all to praise Thee; neither can any thing please long without Thee; but if it be pleasant, Thy grace must needs be present, and it must be seasoned with the sweetness of Thy wisdom.
2. What will not be pleasant to the taste unto him who hath a true relish for Thee?
And to him that hath no relish for Thee, what can be pleasant?
But the wise men of the world, and they also who relish the things of the flesh, have not Thy wisdom; for in the former is found much vanity, and in the latter death.
But they that follow Thee in contempt of worldly things, and mortification of the flesh, are known to be truly wise; for they are brought over from vanity to truth, from the flesh to the spirit.
These relish God; and what good soever is found in creatures, they wholly refer unto the praise of their Maker.
Great, however, yea, very great is the difference between the sweetness of the Creator and of the creature, of eternity and of time, of light uncreated and of light that receiveth its light therefrom.
3. O everlasting Light, surpassing all created lights, dart the beams of Thy brightness from above, to pierce the most inward parts of my heart.
Purify, rejoice, enlighten and enliven my spirit with the powers thereof, that I may cleave unto Thee with abundance of joy.
O when will that blessed and desired hour come, that Thou mayest satisfy me with Thy presence, and be unto me all in all.
So long as this is not granted me, I shall not have perfect joy.
Still alas! the old man doth live in me: he is not wholly crucified, he is not perfectly dead.
Still doth he strive against the Spirit, and stirreth up inward wars, and suffereth not the kingdom of my soul to be in peace.
4. But Thou that rulest the power of the sea, and stillest the rising of the waves, arise and help me.
Scatter the nations that delight in war, crush Thou them in Thy might.
Display Thy greatness, I beseech Thee, and let Thy right hand be glorified, for there is no other hope or refuge for me, save in Thee, Lord my God.