Page:Imitation-of-christ-1901.djvu/57

Rh Who is then in the best case? even he who is able to suffer something for God.

2. Many weak and infirm persons say, Behold! what a happy life such an one leads; how wealthy, how great he is, in what power and dignity!

But lift up thine eyes to the riches of Heaven, and thou shalt see that all the goods of this life are nothing to be accounted of. They are very uncertain, and rather burdensome than otherwise, because they are never possessed without anxiety and fear.

Man's happiness consisteth not in having abundance of temporal goods, but a moderate portion is sufficient for him.

Truly it is misery even to live upon the earth.

The more spiritual a man desires to be, the more bitter does this present life become to him; because he sees more clearly and perceives more sensibly the defects of human corruption.

For to eat and to drink, to sleep and to watch, to labour and to rest, and to be subject to other necessities of nature, is doubtless a great misery and affliction to a religious man, who would gladly be set loose, and freed from all sin.

3. For the inward man is much weighed down by the necessities of the body.

Therefore the Prophet prayed with great devotion to be enabled to be free from them, saying, "Bring thou me out of my distress."

But woe be to them that know not their own misery; and a greater woe to them that love this miserable and corrupt life!

For there be some who so much doat upon it, that