Of the Imitation of Christ/Book III/Chapter XXXVIII
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
OF GOOD GOVERNMENT OF OURSELVES IN THINGS EXTERNAL, AND OF RECOURSE TO GOD IN DANGER.
Y son, thou oughtest to endeavour with all diligence, that, in every place, and in all outward business, thou be inwardly free, and thoroughly master of thyself; and that all things be under thee, and not thou under them.
Thou must be lord and master of thine own actions, not a servant or a hireling.
Rather shouldst thou be as a freed man and a true Hebrew, passing over into the lot and freedom of the sons of God.
For they stand above present things, and contemplate the eternal things.
They look on transitory things with the left eye, and do behold the things of heaven with the right.
Temporal things cannot draw them; rather do they draw temporal things to serve them, and this in such way as God hath ordained, and are appointed by the great Work-master, who hath left nothing in His creation without due order.
2. If too thou in all things stand steadfast, and do not estimate what thou seest and hearest by the outward appearance, nor with a carnal eye; but at once in every affair dost enter with Moses into the tabernacle to ask counsel of the Lord; thou shalt return instructed concerning many things, both present and to come.
For Moses always had recourse to the tabernacle for the deciding of doubts and questions, and fled to the help of prayer for support under dangers and the iniquity of men.
So oughtest thou in like manner to fly to the closet of thine heart, very earnestly craving the divine favour.
For we read, that for this cause Joshua and the children of Israel were deceived by the Gibeonites, because they asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord, but, giving credit to fair words, were deluded by their counterfeit piety.
