Greco-Christian stream·The Imitation of Christ·Book III — On Inward Consolation·Chapter XVI. That True Solace Is To Be Sought In God Alone
XVI. True solace to be sought in God alone
All consolation that is not from God is a false consolation. Creatures cannot give what only the Creator can give; the soul wearies seeking solace in creatures and finds rest only when it turns inward to God.
Source context
- Theme
- exclusive orientation of the soul toward God as the sole sufficient consolation
- Soul-faculty
- Consciousness Soul
Steiner
not engaged in the GA corpus
Cross-tradition
- Augustinian ChristianityAugustine's declaration that the heart is restless until it rests in God (Confessions I.1) presents a structural parallel to the Imitation's insistence that creaturely consolations are insufficient and only divine rest satisfies the soul.
- Sufi doctrine of fanaThe Sufi teaching that the soul must empty itself of all but God before receiving divine consolation (as articulated by al-Ghazali in the Ihya) shows cross-tradition congruence with this chapter's renunciation of external solace.
- Vedanta — neti netiThe Advaita method of negating every finite support (neti neti) as preparation for resting in Brahman presents a structural parallel to the chapter's successive dismissal of created consolations as inadequate substitutes for the divine.
Chapter XVI. That True Solace Is To Be Sought In God Alone
THAT TRUE SOLACE IS TO BE SOUGHT IN GOD ALONE
Whatsoever I am able to desire or to think of for my solace, I look for it not here, but hereafter. For if I alone had all the solaces of this world, and were able to enjoy all its delights, it is certain that they could not endure long. Wherefore, O my soul, thou canst be fully comforted and perfectly refreshed, only in God, the Comforter of the poor, and the lifter up of the humble. Wait but a little while, my soul, wait for the Divine promise, and thou shalt have abundance of all good things in heaven. If thou longest too inordinately for the things which are now, thou shalt lose those which are eternal and heavenly. Let temporal things be in the use, eternal things in the desire. Thou canst not be satisfied with any temporal good, for thou wast not created for the enjoyment of these.
2Although thou hadst all the good things which ever were created, yet couldst not thou be happy and blessed; all thy blessedness and thy felicity lieth in God who created all things; not such felicity as seemeth good to the foolish lover of the world, but such as Christ's good and faithful servants wait for, and as the spiritual and pure in heart sometimes taste, whose conversation is in heaven.(1) All human solace is empty and short-lived; blessed and true is that solace which is felt inwardly, springing from the truth. The godly man everywhere beareth about with him his own Comforter, Jesus, and saith unto Him: "Be with me, Lord Jesus, always and everywhere. Let it be my comfort to be able to give up cheerfully all human comfort. And if Thy consolation fail me, let Thy will and righteous approval be alway with me for the highest comfort. For Thou wilt not always be chiding, neither keepest Thou Thine anger for ever."(2)
(1) Philippians iii. 20. (2) Psalm cii. 9.