And grow for ever and for ever.
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,
And answer, echoes, answer, dying, dying, dying.

FROM THE IMITATION OF CHRIST

_By_ THOMAS a KEMPIS

OF FOLLOWING CHRIST AND DESPISING ALL WORLDLY VANITIES

Our Lord saith: he that followeth me walketh not in darkness.

These are the words of Christ in the which we are admonished to follow
his life and his manners if we would be truly enlightened and be
delivered from all manner of blindness of heart.

Wherefore let our chief study be upon the life of Jesus Christ.

Sublime words make not a man holy and righteous, but it is a virtuous
life that maketh him dear to God.

I desire rather to know compunction than its definition. If thou knewest
all the sayings of all the philosophers, what should that avail thee
without charity and grace?

All other things in the world, save only to love God and serve him, are
vanity of vanities and all vanity.

And it is vanity also to desire honour and for a man to lift himself on
high.

And it is vanity to follow the desires of the flesh and to desire the
thing for which man must afterward grievously be punished.

And it is vanity to desire a long life and to take no care to live a
good life.

And it is vanity for a man to take heed only to this present life and
not to see before those things that are to come.

Study therefore to withdraw thy heart from love of things visible and
turn thee to things invisible.

For they that follow their senses stain their consciences and lose the
grace of God.

OF A HUMBLE OPINION OF OURSELVES

Every man naturally desireth knowledge; but knowledge without love and
fear of God, what availeth it?

Certainly the meek plow-man that serveth God is much better than the
proud philosopher that, taking no heed of his own living, studies the
course of the stars.

He that knoweth himself well is lowly in his own sight and hath no
delight in man's praises.

If I knew all things that are in the world and had not charity, what
should that help me before God who shall judge me according to my deeds?

Unwise is he that more attendeth to other things than to the health of
his soul.

Many words fill not the soul; but a good life refresheth the mind and a
pure conscience giveth a great confidence in God.

The more thou canst do and the better that thou canst do, the more
grievously thou shalt be judged unless thou live holily.

Think not hig