Thursday of week 22 of the year
The Night Office Second Reading was THE IMITATION OF CHRIST
Thomas à Kempis, 'The Royal Road of the Cross'.
The name of the CROSS re-echoed in our hearts, forty times, Christ 17 times.
Among translations in our Library has, Glasgow and Westminster, Everyman's Library older translation, Ronald Knox and M. Oakley, new 1959.
This seemed to call for a catchment of translations and literally filled the NET.
Among translations in our Library has, Glasgow and Westminster, Everyman's Library older translation, Ronald Knox and M. Oakley, new 1959.
This seemed to call for a catchment of translations and literally filled the NET.
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THOMAS À KEMPIS DE IMITATIONE
CHRISTI LIBRI QUATTUOR. ad codicem autographum exacta. ROMAE. TYPIS POLYGLOTTIS
VATICANIS. IMPRIMATUR ...
Quote: LIBER SECUNDUS CAPITULUM.
XII. De regia via sanctae crucis.
It is a joy to the parallel columns of Imitation Bk.II, Ch.XII. below.
Imitation of Christ Bk. II, Ch. XII
The Twelfth Chapter
THE
ROYAL ROAD OF THE HOLY CROSS
TO MANY the saying, "Deny thyself, take up thy cross and follow Me,"[19]seems
hard, but it will be much harder to hear that final word: "Depart from Me,
ye cursed, into everlasting fire."[20] Those who hear the word of the cross and follow it willingly now, need
not fear that they will hear of eternal damnation on the day of judgment
This sign of the cross
will be in the heavens when the Lord comes to judge
Then all
the servants of the cross, who
during life made themselves one with the Crucified,
will draw near with great trust to Christ, the judge.
2.
Why, then, do you fear to take up the cross when through it you can win a kingdom
In the cross is
salvation,
in the cross is life,
in the cross is protection from enemies,
in the cross is infusion of heavenly sweetness,
in the cross is strength of mind,
in the cross is joy of spirit,
in the cross is highest virtue,
in the cross is perfect holiness.
in the cross is life,
in the cross is protection from enemies,
in the cross is infusion of heavenly sweetness,
in the cross is strength of mind,
in the cross is joy of spirit,
in the cross is highest virtue,
in the cross is perfect holiness.
There is no salvation of soul nor hope of everlasting life
but in the cross.
Take up your cross,
therefore, and follow Jesus, and you shall enter eternal life
He Himself opened the way before you in carrying His cross, and upon it He died for you,
that you, too, might take up your cross
and long to die upon it
If you die with Him, you shall also live with Him, and if
you share His suffering, you shall also share His glory.
3.
Behold, in the cross
is everything, and upon your dying on the cross
everything depends
There is no other way to life and to true inward peace than
the way of the holy cross and daily
mortification
Go where you will, seek what you will, you will not find a
higher way, nor a less exalted but safer way, than the way of the holy cross
Arrange and order everything to suit your will and
judgment, and still you will find that some suffering must always be borne,
willingly or unwillingly, and thus you will always find the cross.
Either you will experience bodily pain or you will undergo
tribulation of spirit in your soul
4.
At times you will be forsaken by God, at times troubled by
those about you and, what is worse, you will often grow weary of yourself
You cannot escape, you cannot be relieved by any remedy or
comfort but must bear with it as long as God wills
For He wishes you to learn to bear trial without
consolation, to submit yourself wholly to Him that you may become more humble
through suffering
No one understands the passion of Christ so thoroughly or heartily as the man whose lot it is to
suffer the like himself.
The cross,
therefore, is always ready; it awaits you everywhere
No matter where you may go, you cannot escape it, for
wherever you go you take yourself with you and shall always find yourself
Turn where you will -- above, below, without, or within --
you will find a cross in everything,
and everywhere you must have patience if you would have peace within and merit
an eternal crown.
5.
If you carry the cross
willingly, it will carry and lead you to the desired goal where indeed there
shall be no more suffering, but here there shall be
If you carry it unwillingly, you create a burden for
yourself and increase the load, though still you have to bear it
If you cast away one cross,
you will find another and perhaps a heavier one
6.
Do you expect to escape what no mortal man can ever avoid?
Which of the saints was without a cross
or trial on this earth? Not even Jesus Christ,
our Lord, Whose every hour on earth knew the pain of His passion "It behoves
Christ to suffer, and to rise again
from the dead, and so enter into his glory."[21] How is it that you look for another
way than this, the royal way of the holy cross?
7.
The whole life of Christ
was a cross and a martyrdom, and do
you seek rest and enjoyment for yourself? You deceive yourself, you are
mistaken if you seek anything but to suffer, for this mortal life is full of
miseries and marked with crosses on
all sides
Indeed, the more spiritual progress a person makes, so much
heavier will he frequently find the cross,
because as his love increases, the pain of his exile also increases.
8.
Yet such a man, though afflicted in many ways, is not
without hope of consolation, because he knows that great reward is coming to
him for bearing his cross
And when he carries it willingly, every pang of tribulation
is changed into hope of solace from God
Besides, the more the flesh is distressed by affliction, so
much the more is the spirit strengthened by inward grace
Not infrequently a man is so strengthened by his love of
trials and hardship in his desire to conform to the cross of Christ, that he
does not wish to be without sorrow or pain, since he believes he will be the
more acceptable to God if he is able to endure more and more grievous things
for His sake.
It is the grace of Christ,
and not the virtue of man, which can and does bring it about that through fervour
of spirit frail flesh learns to love and to gain what it naturally hates and shuns.
9.
To carry the cross,
to love the cross, to chastise the
body and bring it to subjection, to flee honours, to endure contempt gladly, to
despise self and wish to be despised, to suffer any adversity and loss, to
desire no prosperous days on earth -- this is not man's way
If you rely upon yourself, you can do none of these things,
but if you trust in the Lord, strength will be given you from heaven and the
world and the flesh will be made subject to your word
You will not even fear your enemy, the devil, if you are
armed with faith and signed with the cross
of Christ.
10.
Set yourself, then, like a good and faithful servant of Christ, to bear bravely the cross of your Lord, Who out of love was
crucified for you
Be ready to suffer many adversities and many kinds of
trouble in this miserable life, for troublesome and miserable life will always
be, no matter where you are; and so you will find it wherever you may hide
Thus it must be; and there is no way to evade the trials
and sorrows of life but to bear them.
Drink the chalice of the Lord with affection it you wish to
be His friend and to have part with Him
Leave consolation to God; let Him do as most pleases Him
On your part, be ready to
bear sufferings and consider them the greatest consolation, for even though you
alone were to undergo them all, the sufferings of this life are not worthy to
be compared with the glory to come.
11.
When you shall have come to the point where suffering is
sweet and acceptable for the sake of Christ,
then consider yourself fortunate, for you have found paradise on earth
But as long as suffering irks you and you seek to escape,
so long will you be unfortunate, and the tribulation you seek to evade will
follow you everywhere
12.
If you put your mind to the things you ought to consider,
that is, to suffering and death, you would soon be in a better state and would
find peace.
Although you were taken to the third heaven with Paul, you were not thereby insured against
suffering
Jesus said: "I
will show him how great things he must suffer for My name's sake."[22] To suffer, then, remains your lot, if
you mean to love Jesus and serve Him forever.
13.
If you were but worthy to suffer something for the name of
Jesus, what great glory would be in
store for you, what great joy to all the saints of God, what great edification
to those about you! For all men praise patience though there are few who wish
to practice it.
With good reason, then, ought you to be willing to suffer a
little for Christ since many suffer
much more for the world.
14.
Realize that you must lead a dying life; the more a man
dies to himself, the more he begins to live unto God.
No man is fit to enjoy heaven unless he has resigned
himself to suffer hardship for Christ
Nothing is more acceptable to God, nothing more helpful for
you on this earth than to suffer willingly for Christ
If you had to make a choice, you ought to wish rather to
suffer for Christ than to enjoy many
consolations, for thus you would be more like Christ and more like all the saints
Our merit and progress consist not in many pleasures and
comforts but rather in enduring great afflictions and sufferings.
15.
If, indeed, there were anything better or more useful for
man's salvation than suffering, Christ
would have shown it by word and example
But He clearly exhorts the disciples who follow Him and all
who wish to follow Him to carry the cross,
saying: "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross daily, and follow
Me."[23]
When, therefore, we have read and searched all that has
been written, let this be the final conclusion -- that through much suffering
we must enter into the kingdom of God.
[20]Matt
25:41.
[21]Luke 24:46, 26.
[22]Acts 9:16.
[23]Luke 9:23.
THE IMITATION OF CHRIST
Thomas à Kempis
For five hundred years, this gentle
book, filled with the spirit of the love of God, has brought understanding
and comfort to millions of readers in over fifty languages, and provided them
with a source of heart-felt personal prayer. These meditations on the life
and teachings of Jesus, written in times even more troubled and dangerous
than our own, have become second only to the Bible as a guide and
inspiration.
It is now available in a MODERN
TRANSLATION that retains the flavor of the traditional English translation.
|
www.leaderu.com/cyber/books/imitation/imitation.htm
13 Jul 2002 – The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis, a digital book in the International School of Theology's Cyber Library which is a digital library for ... CYBER LIBRARY 1964 trns THE IMITATION OF CHRIST Thomas à Kempis For five hundred years, this gentle book, filled with the spirit of the love of God, has brought understanding and comfort to millions of readers in over fifty languages, and provided them with a source of heart-felt personal prayer. These meditations on the life and teachings of Jesus, written in times even more troubled and dangerous than our own, have become second only to the Bible as a guide and inspiration. It is now available in a MODERN TRANSLATION that retains the flavor of the traditional English translation. |
The Twelfth Chapter
THE ROYAL ROAD OF THE HOLY CROSS
|
LIBER SECUNDUS
CAPITULUM. XII. De regia via sanctae crucis. |
TO MANY the saying, "Deny thyself, take up thy cross and follow Me,"[19]seems
hard, but it will be much harder to hear that final word: "Depart from
Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire."[20] Those who hear the word of the cross and follow it willingly now,
need not fear that they will hear of eternal damnation on the day of
judgment. This sign of the cross
will be in the heavens when the Lord comes to judge. Then all the servants of
the cross, who during life made
themselves one with the Crucified,
will draw near with great trust to Christ, the judge.
2. Why, then, do you fear to take up the cross when through it you can win a kingdom? In the cross is salvation, in the cross is life, in the cross is protection from enemies, in
the cross is infusion of heavenly
sweetness, in the cross is
strength of mind, in the cross is
joy of spirit, in the cross is
highest virtue, in the cross is
perfect holiness. There is no salvation of soul nor hope of everlasting life
but in the cross. Take up your cross, therefore, and follow Jesus,
and you shall enter eternal life. He Himself opened the way before you in
carrying His cross, and upon it He
died for you, that you, too, might take up your cross and long to die upon it. If you die with Him, you shall
also live with Him, and if you share His suffering, you shall also share His
glory.
3. Behold, in the cross
is everything, and upon your dying on the cross everything depends. There is no other way to life and to
true inward peace than the way of the holy cross and daily mortification. Go where you will, seek what you
will, you will not find a higher way, nor a less exalted but safer way, than
the way of the holy cross. Arrange
and order everything to suit your will and judgment, and still you will find
that some suffering must always be borne, willingly or unwillingly, and thus
you will always find the cross. Either
you will experience bodily pain or you will undergo tribulation of spirit in
your soul.
4. At times you will be forsaken by God, at times troubled by
those about you and, what is worse, you will often grow weary of yourself.
You cannot escape, you cannot be relieved by any remedy or comfort but must
bear with it as long as God wills. For He wishes you to learn to bear trial
without consolation, to submit yourself wholly to Him that you may become
more humble through suffering. No one understands the passion of Christ so
thoroughly or heartily as the man whose lot it is to suffer the like himself.
The cross, therefore,
is always ready; it awaits you everywhere. No matter where you may go, you
cannot escape it, for wherever you go you take yourself with you and shall
always find yourself. Turn where you will -- above, below, without, or within
-- you will find a cross in
everything, and everywhere you must have patience if you would have peace
within and merit an eternal crown.
If you carry the cross
willingly, it will carry and lead you to the desired goal where indeed there
shall be no more suffering, but here there shall be.
5. If you carry it unwillingly, you create a burden for yourself
and increase the load, though still you have to bear it. If you cast away one
cross, you will find another and
perhaps a heavier one.
6. Do you expect to escape what no mortal man can ever avoid?
Which of the saints was without a cross
or trial on this earth? Not even Jesus Christ, our Lord, Whose every hour on
earth knew the pain of His passion. "It behooveth Christ to suffer, and
to rise again from the dead, . . . and so enter into his glory."[21] How is it that you look for another
way than this, the royal way of the holy cross?
7. The whole life of Christ was a cross and a martyrdom, and do you seek rest and enjoyment for
yourself? You deceive yourself, you are mistaken if you seek anything but to
suffer, for this mortal life is full of miseries and marked with crosses on all sides. Indeed, the
more spiritual progress a person makes, so much heavier will he frequently find
the cross, because as his love
increases, the pain of his exile also increases.
8. Yet such a man, though afflicted in many ways, is not without
hope of consolation, because he knows that great reward is coming to him for
bearing his cross. And when he carries
it willingly, every pang of tribulation is changed into hope of solace from
God. Besides, the more the flesh is distressed by affliction, so much the
more is the spirit strengthened by inward grace. Not infrequently a man is so
strengthened by his love of trials and hardship in his desire to conform to
the cross of Christ, that he does
not wish to be without sorrow or pain, since he believes he will be the more
acceptable to God if he is able to endure more and more grievous things for
His sake.
It is the grace of Christ, and not the virtue of man, which can
and does bring it about that through fervour of spirit frail flesh learns to
love and to gain what it naturally hates and shuns.
9. To carry the cross,
to love the cross, to chastise the
body and bring it to subjection, to flee honours, to endure contempt gladly,
to despise self and wish to be despised, to suffer any adversity and loss, to
desire no prosperous days on earth -- this is not man's way. If you rely upon
yourself, you can do none of these things, but if you trust in the Lord,
strength will be given you from heaven and the world and the flesh will be
made subject to your word. You will not even fear your enemy, the devil, if
you are armed with faith and signed with the cross of Christ.
10. Set yourself, then, like a good and faithful servant of
Christ, to bear bravely the cross
of your Lord, Who out of love was crucified
for you. Be ready to suffer many adversities and many kinds of trouble in
this miserable life, for troublesome and miserable life will always be, no
matter where you are; and so you will find it wherever you may hide. Thus it
must be; and there is no way to evade the trials and sorrows of life but to
bear them.
Drink the chalice of the Lord with affection it you wish to be
His friend and to have part with Him. Leave consolation to God; let Him do as
most pleases Him. On your part, be
ready to bear sufferings and consider them the greatest consolation, for even
though you alone were to undergo them all, the sufferings of this life are not
worthy to be compared with the glory to come.
11. When you shall have come to the point where suffering is
sweet and acceptable for the sake of Christ, then consider yourself
fortunate, for you have found paradise on earth. But as long as suffering
irks you and you seek to escape, so long will you be unfortunate, and the
tribulation you seek to evade will follow you everywhere.
12. If you put your mind to the things you ought to consider,
that is, to suffering and death, you would soon be in a better state and would
find peace.
Although you were taken to the third heaven with Paul, you were
not thereby insured against suffering. Jesus said: "I will show him how great things he must suffer for My name's
sake."[22] To suffer, then, remains your lot,
if you mean to love Jesus and serve Him forever.
13. If you were but worthy to suffer something for the name of
Jesus, what great glory would be in store for you, what great joy to all the
saints of God, what great edification to those about you! For all men praise
patience though there are few who wish to practice it. With good reason,
then, ought you to be willing to suffer a little for Christ since many suffer
much more for the world.
14. Realize that you must lead a dying life; the more a man dies
to himself, the more he begins to live unto God. No man is fit to enjoy
heaven unless he has resigned himself to suffer hardship for Christ. Nothing
is more acceptable to God, nothing more helpful for you on this earth than to
suffer willingly for Christ. If you had to make a choice, you ought to wish
rather to suffer for Christ than to enjoy many consolations, for thus you
would be more like Christ and more like all the saints. Our merit and progress
consist not in many pleasures and comforts but rather in enduring great
afflictions and sufferings.
15. If, indeed, there were anything better or more useful for
man's salvation than suffering, Christ would have shown it by word and
example. But He clearly exhorts the disciples who follow Him and all who wish
to follow Him to carry the cross,
saying: "If any man will come
after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."[23]
When, therefore, we have read and searched all that has been
written, let this be the final conclusion -- that through much suffering we
must enter into the kingdom of God.
[20]Matt. 25:41.
[21]Luke 24:46, 26.
[22]Acts 9:16.
[23]Luke 9:23.
|
1. Durus multis videtur hic sermo. Abnega
temet ipsum: tolle crucem tuam et
sequere Iesum (cfr. Matth. 16, 24). Sed
multo durius erit audire illud extremum verbum: Discedite a me
maledicti in ignem æternum (Matth. 25, 41). Qui
enim modo libenter audiunt et sequuntur verbum crucis: tunc non timebunt ab auditione æternæ damnationis. Hoc
signum crucis erit in cælo: cum
Dominus ad iudicandum venerit. Tunc omnes servi crucis qui se Crucifixo
conformaverunt in vita: accedent ad Christum iudicem cum magna fiducia.
2. Quid igitur times tollere crucem; per quam itur ad regnum? In cruce salus, in cruce vita; in cruce
protectio ab hostibus: in cruce
infusio supernae suavitatis; in cruce
robur mentis, in cruce gaudium
spiritus: in cruce summa virtutis,
in cruce perfectio sanctitatis.
Non est salus animae nec spes æternæ vitæ: nisi in cruce. Tolle ergo crucem
tuam et sequere Iesum: et ibis in vitam æternam. Præcessit ille baiulans
sibi crucem (Ioann. 19,
17), et mortuus est pro te in cruce,
ut et tu tuam portes crucem: et
mori affectes in cruce. Quia si
commortuus fueris: etiam cum illo pariter vives. Et si socius fueris
poenae: eris et gloriæ.
3. Ecce in cruce totum constat, et in moriendo totum iacet; et non est alia
via ad vitam et ad veram internam pacem: nisi via sanctæ crucis et cotidianæ mortificationis.
Ambula ubi vis, quære quodcumque volueris; et non invenies altiorem viam
supra, nec securiorem viam infra: nisi viam sanctæ crucis. Dispone et ordina omnia secundum tuum velle et videre; et
non invenies nisi semper aliquid pati debere, aut sponte aut invite: et ita crucem semper invenies. Aut enim in
corpore dolorem senties: aut in anima spiritus tribulationem sustinebis.
4. Interdum a Deo relinqueris,
interdum a proximo exercitaberis: et quod amplius est sæpe tibimet ipsi
gravis eris: nec tamen aliquo remedio vel solacio liberari seu alleviari
poteris: sed donec Deus voluerit oportet ut sustineas. Vult enim Deus ut
tribulationem sine consolatione pati discas; et ut illi totaliter te
subicias: et humilior ex tribulatione fias. Nemo ita cordialiter sentit
passionem Christi: sicut is cui contigerit similia pati. Crux ergo semper
parata est: et ubique te expectat. Non potes effugere, ubicumque cucurreris;
quia ubicumque veneris te ipsum tecum portas: et semper te ipsum invenies.
Converte te supra, converte te infra; converte te extra, converte te intra:
et in his omnibus invenies crucem;
et necesse est te ubique tenere patientiam: si internam vis habere pacem, et
perpetuam promereri coronam.
5. Si libenter crucem portas portabit te, et ducet ad desideratum finem, ubi
scilicet finis patiendi erit: quamvis hic non erit. Si invite portas onus
tibi facis, et te ipsum magis gravas: et tamen oportet ut sustineas. Si
abicis unam crucem, aliam procul
dubio invenies: et forsitan graviorem.
6. Credis tu evadere; quod nullus
mortalium potuit præterire? Quis sanctorum in mundo sine cruce et tribulatione fuit? Nec enim Iesus Christus Dominus
noster una hora sine dolore passionis fuit, quamdiu vixit. Oportebat, ait, Christum
pati, et resurgere a mortuis: et ita intrare in gloriam suam (Luc. 24,
26, 46). Et quomodo tu aliam viam quæris; quam hanc regiam viam
quæ est via sanctæ crucis?
7. Tota vita Christi crux fuit et
martyrium: et tu tibi quæris requiem et gaudium? Erras, erras, si aliud
quæris quam pati tribulationes: quia tota ista vita mortalis plena est
miseriis et circumsignata crucibus.
Et quanto altius quis in spiritu profecerit, tanto graviores sæpe cruces invenerit: quia exilii sui
pœna magis ex amore crescit.
8. Sed tamen iste sic multipliciter
afflictus, non est sine levamine consolationis: quia fructum maximum sibi
sentit accrescere ex sufferentia suæ crucis.
Nam dum sponte se illi subicit: omne onus tribulationis in fiduciam divinæ
consolationis convertitur. Et quanto caro magis per afflictionem atteritur:
tanto spiritus amplius per internam gratiam roboratur. Et nonnumquam in
tantum confortatur ex affectu tribulationis et adversitatis ob amorem
conformitatis crucis Christi: ut
se sine dolore et tribulatione esse non vellet; quoniam tanto se acceptiorem
Deo credit: quanto plura et graviora pro eo perferre potuerit. Non est istud
hominis virtus sed gratia Christi: quæ tanta potest et agit in carne fragili;
ut quod naturaliter semper abhorret et fugit: hoc fervore spiritus
aggrediatur et diligat.
9. Non est secundum hominem crucem portare, crucem amare, corpus castigare, et servituti subicere: honores
fugere, contumelias libenter sustinere; se ipsum despicere, et despici
optare: adversa quæque cum damnis perpeti, et nihil prosperitatis in hoc
mundo desiderare. Si ad te ipsum respicis: nihil huiusmodi ex te poteris. Sed
si in Domino confidis, dabitur tibi fortitudo de cælo: et subicientur ditioni
tuæ mundus et caro. Sed nec inimicum diabolum timebis: si fueris fide armatus
et cruce Christi signatus.
10. Pone te ergo sicut bonus et
fidelis servus Christi ad portandam viriliter crucem Domini tui: pro te ex amore crucifixi. Præpara te ad toleranda multa adversa et varia
incommoda in hac misera vita: quia sic tecum erit ubicumque fueris: et sic
revera invenies ubicumque latueris. Oportet te ita esse; et non est remedium
evadendi a tribulatione malorum et dolore: quam ut te patiaris. Calicem
Domini affectanter bibe: si amicus eius esse et partem cum eo habere
desideras. Consolationes Deo committe: faciat ipse cum talibus sicut sibi
magis placuerit. Tu vero pone te ad sustinendum tribulationes et reputa eas
maximas consolationes; quia non sunt condignae passiones huius
temporis ad futuram gloriam (Rom. 8, 18) promerendam: etiam
si solus omnes posses sustinere.
11. Quando ad hoc veneris, quod
tribulatio tibi dulcis est et sapit pro Christo; tunc bene tecum esse
aestima: quia invenisti paradisum in terra. Quamdiu pati grave tibi est et
fugere quæris; tamdiu male habebis: et sequentur te ubique fuga
tribulationis.
12. Si ponis te ad quod esse debes;
videlicet ad patiendum et moriendum: fiet cito melius et pacem invenies.
Etiam si raptus fueris usque ad tertium cælum cum Paulo: non es propterea
securatus de nullo contrario patiendo. Ego, inquit Iesus, ostendam
illi: quanta oporteat eum pro nomine meo pati (Act. 9,
16). Pati ergo tibi remanet: si Iesum diligere et perpetue illi
servire placet.
13. Utinam dignus esses aliquid pro
nomine Iesu pati: quam magna gloria remaneret tibi; quanta exultatio omnibus
sanctis Dei: quanta quoque ædificatio esset proximi! Nam patientiam omnes
recommendant: quamvis pauci tamen pati velint. Merito deberes libenter
modicum pati pro Christo: cum multi graviora patiuntur pro mundo.
14. Scias pro certo: quia morientem
te oportet ducere vitam. Et quanto quisque plus sibi moritur: tanto magis Deo
vivere incipit. Nemo aptus est ad comprehendendum cælestia: nisi se
submiserit ad portandum pro Christo adversa. Nihil Deo acceptius nihil tibi
salubrius in mundo isto: quam libenter pati pro Christo. Et si eligendum tibi
esset: magis optare deberes pro Christo adversa pati quam multis
consolationibus recreari; quia Christo similior esses: et omnibus sanctis
magis conformior. Non enim stat meritum nostrum et profectus status nostri in
multis suavitatibus et consolationibus: sed potius in magnis gravitatibus et
tribulationibus perferendis.
15. Siquidem aliquid melius et
utilius saluti hominum quam pati fuisset: Christus utique verbo et exemplo
ostendisset. Nam et sequentes se discipulos, omnesque eum sequi cupientes:
manifeste ad crucem portandam
hortatur et dicit: Si quis vult venire post me: abneget semet ipsum
et tollat crucem suam et sequatur
me (Matt. 16, 24). Omnibus ergo perlectis et
scrutatis: sit haec conclusio finalis: quoniam per multas
tribulationes: oportet nos intrare in regnum Dei (Act. 14,
21).
Expliciunt
admonitiones ad interna trahentes.
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