IMITATING CHRIST AND DESPISING ALL VANITIES ON
EARTH
HE WHO follows Me, walks not in darkness," says
the Lord.[1] By these words of Christ we are advised to imitate His
life and habits, if we wish to be truly enlightened and free from all
blindness of heart. Let our chief effort, therefore, be to study the
life of Jesus Christ.
The teaching of Christ is more excellent than
all the advice of the saints, and he who has His spirit will find in
it a hidden manna. Now, there are many who hear the Gospel often but
care little for it because they have not the spirit of Christ. Yet
whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to
pattern his whole life on that of Christ.
What good does it do to speak learnedly about
the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity? Indeed it
is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life
makes him pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know
how to define it. For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible
by heart and the principles of all the philosophers if we live without
grace and the love of God? Vanity of vanities and all is vanity,
except to love God and serve Him alone.
This is the greatest wisdom -- to seek the
kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world. It is vanity,
therefore, to seek and trust in riches that perish. It is vanity also
to court honor and to be puffed up with pride. It is vanity to follow
the lusts of the body and to desire things for which severe punishment
later must come. It is vanity to wish for long life and to care little
about a well-spent life. It is vanity to be concerned with the present
only and not to make provision for things to come. It is vanity to
love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy
abides.
Often recall the proverb: "The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor
the ear filled with hearing."[2] Try, moreover, to turn your heart
from the love of things visible and bring yourself to things
invisible. For they who follow their own evil passions stain their
consciences and lose the grace of God. |
Of the imitation of Christ, and of contempt of the
world and all its vanities
He that followeth me shall not
walk in darkness,(1) saith the Lord. These are the words of Christ;
and they teach us how far we must imitate His life and character, if
we seek true illumination, and deliverance from all blindness of
heart. Let it be our most earnest study, therefore, to dwell upon the
life of Jesus Christ.
2. His teaching surpasseth all
teaching of holy men, and such as have His Spirit find therein the
hidden manna.(2) But there are many who, though they frequently hear
the Gospel, yet feel but little longing after it, because they have
not the mind of Christ. He, therefore, that will fully and with true
wisdom understand the words of Christ, let him strive to conform his
whole life to that mind of Christ.
3. What doth it profit thee to
enter into deep discussion concerning the Holy Trinity, if thou lack
humility, and be thus displeasing to the Trinity? For verily it is
not deep words that make a man holy and upright; it is a good life
which maketh a man dear to God. I had rather feel contrition than be
skilful in the definition thereof. If thou knewest the whole Bible,
and the sayings of all the philosophers, what should all this profit
thee without the love and grace of God? Vanity of vanities, all is
vanity, save to love God, and Him only to serve. That is the highest
wisdom, to cast the world behind us, and to reach forward to the
heavenly kingdom.
4. It is vanity then to seek
after, and to trust in, the riches that shall perish. It is vanity,
too, to covet honours, and to lift up ourselves on high. It is vanity
to follow the desires of the flesh and be led by them, for this shall
bring misery at the last. It is vanity to desire a long life, and to
have little care for a good life. It is vanity to take thought only
for the life which now is, and not to look forward to the things which
shall be hereafter. It is vanity to love that which quickly passeth
away, and not to hasten where eternal joy abideth.
5. Be ofttimes mindful of the
saying,(3) The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with
hearing. Strive, therefore, to turn away thy heart from the love of
the things that are seen, and to set it upon the things that are not
seen. For they who follow after their own fleshly lusts, defile the
conscience, and destroy the grace of God. |