Greco-Christian stream·The Imitation of Christ·Book III — On Inward Consolation·Chapter XX. Of Confession Of Our Infirmity And Of The Miseries Of This Life
XX. Confession of our infirmity; the miseries of this life
The Disciple's confession of his own infirmity — 'I am dust and ashes, today here, tomorrow gone' — paired with the catalogue of this life's miseries. Not as morbid lament but as the ground for hope in God who alone heals these infirmities.
Source context
- Theme
- confession of creaturely weakness and acceptance of life's inherent misery as a spiritual discipline
- Soul-faculty
- Consciousness Soul
Steiner
not engaged in the GA corpus
Cross-tradition
- Augustinian ChristianityAugustine's doctrine of human wretchedness apart from grace (Confessions, Book X) structurally parallels the chapter's insistence that honest acknowledgment of infirmity is the precondition for divine consolation.
- Stoic philosophyStoic exercises in meditatio malorum — deliberate contemplation of suffering and limitation — show cross-tradition congruence with the chapter's method of turning attention toward misery as a path to equanimity.
- Sufi anthropology (fanāʾ)The Sufi concept of fanāʾ, the annihilation of the self's pretensions before God, is structurally congruent with the chapter's movement from proud concealment of weakness to humble confession of it.
Chapter XX. Of Confession Of Our Infirmity And Of The Miseries Of This Life
OF CONFESSION OF OUR INFIRMITY AND OF THE MISERIES OF THIS LIFE
I will acknowledge my sin unto Thee;(1) I will confess to Thee, Lord, my infirmity. It is often a small thing which casteth me down and maketh me sad. I resolve that I will act bravely, but when a little temptation cometh, immediately I am in a great strait. Wonderfully small sometimes is the matter whence a grievous temptation cometh, and whilst I imagine myself safe for a little space; when I am not considering, I find myself often almost overcome by a little puff of wind.
2Behold, therefore, O Lord, my humility and my frailty, which is altogether known to Thee. Be merciful unto me, and draw me out of the mire that I sink not,(2) lest I ever remain cast down. This is what frequently throweth me backward and confoundeth me before Thee, that I am so liable to fall, so weak to resist my passions. And though their assault is not altogether according to my will, it is violent and grievous, and it altogether wearieth me to live thus daily in conflict. Herein is my infirmity made known to me, that hateful fancies always rush in far more easily than they depart.
3Oh that Thou, most mighty God of Israel, Lover of all faithful souls, wouldst look upon the labour and sorrow of Thy servant, and give him help in all things whereunto he striveth. Strengthen me with heavenly fortitude, lest the old man, this miserable flesh, not being yet fully subdued to the spirit, prevail to rule over me; against which I ought to strive so long as I remain in this most miserable life. Oh what a life is this, where tribulations and miseries cease not, where all things are full of snares and of enemies, for when one tribulation or temptation goeth, another cometh, yea, while the former conflict is yet raging others come more in number and unexpected.
4And how can the life of man be loved, seeing that it hath so many bitter things, that it is subjected to so many calamities and miseries. How can it be even called life, when it produces so many deaths and plagues? The world is often reproached because it is deceitful and vain, yet notwithstanding it is not easily given up, because the lusts of the flesh have too much rule over it. Some draw us to love, some to hate. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, these draw to love of the world; but the punishments and miseries which righteously follow these things, bring forth hatred of the world and weariness.
5But, alas! an evil desire conquereth a mind given to the world, and thinketh it happiness to be under the nettles(3) because it savoureth not nor perceiveth the sweetness of God nor the inward gracefulness of virtue. But they who perfectly despise the world and strive to live unto God in holy discipline, these are not ignorant of the divine sweetness promised to all who truly deny themselves and see clearly how grievously the world erreth, and in how many ways it is deceived.
(1) Psalm xxxii. 5. (2) Psalm lix. 16. (3) Job xxx. 7.