Or, a treatise on the imitation of Christ. Written in Latin by _Thomas a Kempis_. BOOK II. CHAPTER I. _Of the inward life._ THE kingdom of God is within you, saith the Lord. Turn thee with thy whole heart unto the Lord, and forsake this wretched world, and thy soul shall find rest. Learn to despise exterior things, and to give thyself to the interior, and thou shalt perceive the kingdom of God to come into thee. For the kingdom of God, is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 2. O faithful soul, make ready thy heart for the Bridegroom, that he may vouchsafe to come unto thee, and dwell within thee! For he saith, If any man love me, he will keep my words, and we will come unto him, and will make our abode with him. Give therefore admittance unto Christ, and deny entrance to all others. When thou hast Christ thou art rich, and he will suffice thee. He will be thy faithful helper in all things, so as thou shalt not need to trust in men. *For men are soon changed, and quickly fail; but Christ remaineth for ever, and is with us even unto the end. 3. We ought not to put trust in man, frail and mortal as he is, though he be friendly and serviceable: nor should we be grieved, although he cross and oppose us. *They, that to-day take thy part, to-morrow may be against thee, and so on the contrary; they often turn like the wind. *Put thy whole trust in God, let him be thy fear and thy love: he will answer for thee, and do in all things what is best. Thou hast not here an abiding city; and wheresoever thou be, thou art a stranger and pilgrim; neither shalt thou ever have rest, unless thou be intimately united unto Christ. *4. Why dost thou here gaze about, since this is not the place of thy rest? In heaven ought to be thy dwelling, and all earthly things are to be looked upon as they forward thy journey thither. *All things pass away, and thou together with them. *Beware thou cleave not unto them, lest thou be entangled and perish. Let thy thoughts be on the highest, and thy prayer directed unto Christ, without ceasing. If thou canst not contemplate on high and heavenly things; rest thyself in the passion of Christ, and dwell willingly in his holy wounds. For if thou fly devoutly unto the Lord Jesus, thou shalt feel great comfort in tribulation, neither wilt thou regard being despised of men, but wilt easily bear words of detraction. 5. Christ was also despised of men and in his greatest necessity forsaken by his acquaintance and friends. *Christ chose to suffer and be despised; and darest thou complain of any thing? Christ had adversaries and slanderers; and wilt thou have all men thy friends and benefactors? How shall thy patience be crowned, if no adversity happen unto thee? *If thou wilt suffer nothing, how wilt thou be the friend of Christ?