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BOOK 2: ADMONITIONS CONCERNING THE INNER LIFE
Chapter 8: Of the familiar friendship of Jesus
When Jesus is present all is well and nothing seemeth hard, but
when Jesus is not present everything is hard. When Jesus
speaketh not within, our comfort is nothing worth, but if Jesus
speaketh but a single word great is the comfort we experience.
Did not Mary Magdalene rise up quickly from the place where she
wept when Martha said to her, The Master is come and calleth for
thee? Happy hour when Jesus calleth thee from tears to the
joy of the spirit! How dry and hard art thou without Jesus! How
senseless and vain if thou desirest aught beyond Jesus! Is not
this greater loss than if thou shouldst lose the whole world?
when Jesus is not present everything is hard. When Jesus
speaketh not within, our comfort is nothing worth, but if Jesus
speaketh but a single word great is the comfort we experience.
Did not Mary Magdalene rise up quickly from the place where she
wept when Martha said to her, The Master is come and calleth for
thee? Happy hour when Jesus calleth thee from tears to the
joy of the spirit! How dry and hard art thou without Jesus! How
senseless and vain if thou desirest aught beyond Jesus! Is not
this greater loss than if thou shouldst lose the whole world?
What can the world profit thee without Jesus? To be without
Jesus is the nethermost hell, and to be with Jesus is sweet
paradise. If Jesus were with thee no enemy could hurt thee. He
who findeth Jesus findeth a good treasure, yea, good above all
good; and he who loseth Jesus loseth exceeding much, yea, more
than the whole world. Most poor is he who liveth without Jesus,
and most rich is he who is much with Jesus.
Jesus is the nethermost hell, and to be with Jesus is sweet
paradise. If Jesus were with thee no enemy could hurt thee. He
who findeth Jesus findeth a good treasure, yea, good above all
good; and he who loseth Jesus loseth exceeding much, yea, more
than the whole world. Most poor is he who liveth without Jesus,
and most rich is he who is much with Jesus.
It is great skill to know how to live with Jesus, and to know
how to hold Jesus is great wisdom. Be thou humble and peaceable
and Jesus shall be with thee. Be godly and quiet, and Jesus will
remain with thee. Thou canst quickly drive away Jesus and lose
His favour if thou wilt turn away to the outer things. And if
thou hast put Him to flight and lost Him, to whom wilt thou flee,
and whom then wilt thou seek for a friend? Without a friend thou
canst not live long, and if Jesus be not thy friend above all
thou shalt be very sad and desolate. Madly therefore doest thou
if thou trusteth or findest joy in any other. It is preferable
to have the whole world against thee, than Jesus offended with
thee. Therefore of all that are dear to thee, let Jesus be
specially loved.
how to hold Jesus is great wisdom. Be thou humble and peaceable
and Jesus shall be with thee. Be godly and quiet, and Jesus will
remain with thee. Thou canst quickly drive away Jesus and lose
His favour if thou wilt turn away to the outer things. And if
thou hast put Him to flight and lost Him, to whom wilt thou flee,
and whom then wilt thou seek for a friend? Without a friend thou
canst not live long, and if Jesus be not thy friend above all
thou shalt be very sad and desolate. Madly therefore doest thou
if thou trusteth or findest joy in any other. It is preferable
to have the whole world against thee, than Jesus offended with
thee. Therefore of all that are dear to thee, let Jesus be
specially loved.
Let all be loved for Jesus’ sake, but Jesus for His own.
Jesus Christ alone is to be specially loved, for He alone is
found good and faithful above all friends. For His sake and in
Him let both enemies and friends be dear to thee, and pray for
them all that they may all know and love Him. Never desire to be
specially praised or loved, because this belongeth to God alone,
who hath none like unto Himself. Nor wish thou that any one set
his heart on thee, nor do thou give thyself up to the love of
any, but let Jesus be in thee and in every good man.
Jesus Christ alone is to be specially loved, for He alone is
found good and faithful above all friends. For His sake and in
Him let both enemies and friends be dear to thee, and pray for
them all that they may all know and love Him. Never desire to be
specially praised or loved, because this belongeth to God alone,
who hath none like unto Himself. Nor wish thou that any one set
his heart on thee, nor do thou give thyself up to the love of
any, but let Jesus be in thee and in every good man.
Be pure and free within thyself, and be not entangled by any
created thing. Thou oughtest to bring a bare and clean heart to
God, if thou desirest to be ready to see how gracious the Lord
is. And in truth, unless thou be prevented and drawn on by His
grace, thou wilt not attain to this, that having cast out and
dismissed all else, thou alone art united to God. For when the
grace of God cometh to a man, then he becometh able to do all
things, and when it departeth then he will be poor and weak and
given up unto troubles. In these thou art not to be cast down
nor to despair, but to rest with calm mind on the will of God,
and to bear all things which come upon thee unto the praise of
Jesus Christ; for after winter cometh summer, after night
returneth day, after the tempest a great calm.
created thing. Thou oughtest to bring a bare and clean heart to
God, if thou desirest to be ready to see how gracious the Lord
is. And in truth, unless thou be prevented and drawn on by His
grace, thou wilt not attain to this, that having cast out and
dismissed all else, thou alone art united to God. For when the
grace of God cometh to a man, then he becometh able to do all
things, and when it departeth then he will be poor and weak and
given up unto troubles. In these thou art not to be cast down
nor to despair, but to rest with calm mind on the will of God,
and to bear all things which come upon thee unto the praise of
Jesus Christ; for after winter cometh summer, after night
returneth day, after the tempest a great calm.
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