Of the Imitation of Christ/Book IV/Chapter XV
CHAPTER XV.
THAT THE GRACE OF DEVOTION IS OBTAINED BY HUMILITY AND DENIAL.
HOU oughtest to seek the grace of devotion, and to ask for it earnestly, to wait for it with patience and confidence, to receive it with thankfulness, to keep it with humility, to work with it diligently.
Thou oughtest especially to humble thyself, when thou feelest inwardly little or no devotion; and yet not to be too much dejected, nor grieve inordinately.
God often giveth in one short moment that which He for a long time hath denied: He giveth sometimes in the end, that which in the beginning of thy prayer He deferred to grant.
2. If grace were always instantly given, and were ever at hand with a wish, weak man could not well bear it.
Therefore the grace of devotion is to be waited for with good hope and humble patience.
Nevertheless, do thou impute it to thyself, and to thine own sins, when this grace is not given thee, or when it is secretly taken away.
It is sometimes but a small matter that hindereth and hideth grace from us; at least if anything can be called small, and not rather a weighty matter, which hindereth so great a good.
But if thou remove this, be it great or small, and perfectly overcome it, thou shalt have thy desire.
3. For immediately thou givest thyself to God from thy whole heart, and seekest not this nor that, according to thine own pleasure, thou shalt find thyself united to Him, and at peace; for nothing can afford so sweet a relish, nothing can be so delightful, as the good pleasure of the divine will.
Whosoever therefore, with a single heart, lifteth up his intention to God, and keepeth himself clear of all inordinate love or dislike of any created thing, he shall be the most fit to receive grace, and meet for the gift of true devotion.
For the Lord bestoweth His blessings where He findeth the vessels empty.
And the more perfectly a man forsaketh these low things, and the more he dieth to himself by contempt of himself, the more speedily shall grace come, and shall enter in the more plentifully, and shall lift up the free heart higher.
4. Then shall he see, and flow together, and wonder, and his heart shall be enlarged, because the hand of the Lord is with him, and he hath put himself wholly into His hand, even for ever and ever.
Behold, thus shall the man be blessed, who seeketh God with his whole heart.
This man in receiving the Holy Eucharist, obtaineth the grace of divine union; for that he looketh not to his own devotion and comfort, but to the honour and glory of God.