Greco-Christian stream·The Imitation of Christ·Book III — On Inward Consolation·Chapter LII. That A Man Ought Not To Reckon Himself Worthy Of Consolation, But More Worthy Of Chastisement
LII. Not worthy of consolation, but more worthy of chastisement
On the soul's self-estimation in the face of God's mercy. We are not worthy of God's consolations; we are worthy rather of chastisement for our sins. The proper attitude in which to receive consolation when it is given: as gift, not as due.
Source context
- Theme
- unworthiness of consolation and the soul's proper disposition toward chastisement over comfort
- Soul-faculty
- Consciousness Soul
Steiner
not engaged in the GA corpus
Cross-tradition
- Desert Fathers / apophthegmata traditionThe Abbas consistently taught that regarding oneself as the least deserving of spiritual gifts is a prerequisite for genuine humility, structurally parallel to this chapter's argument that self-condemnation before God is more fitting than expectation of consolation.
- Sufi maqamat (stations of the soul)In the station of tawadu (humility) as formulated by al-Ghazali and others, the soul actively refuses to count itself among those deserving divine favor, a cross-tradition congruence with the chapter's insistence that affliction rather than comfort is the soul's rightful portion.
- Augustinian theology of graceAugustine's insistence that consolation is pure gift and never owed to the creature provides a doctrinal substrate for this chapter's posture: to expect consolation is to misunderstand the asymmetry between Creator and fallen soul.
Chapter LII. That A Man Ought Not To Reckon Himself Worthy Of Consolation, But More Worthy Of Chastisement
THAT A MAN OUGHT NOT TO RECKON HIMSELF WORTHY OF CONSOLATION, BUT MORE WORTHY OF CHASTISEMENT
O Lord, I am not worthy of Thy consolation, nor of any spiritual visitation; and therefore Thou dealest justly with me, when Thou leavest me poor and desolate. For if I were able to pour forth tears like the sea, still should I not be worthy of Thy consolation. Therefore am I nothing worthy save to be scourged and punished, because I have grievously and many a time offended Thee, and in many things have greatly sinned. Therefore, true account being taken, I am not worthy even of the least of Thy consolations. But Thou, gracious and merciful God, who willest not that Thy works should perish, to show forth the riches of Thy mercy upon the vessels of mercy,(1) vouchsafest even beyond all his own deserving, to comfort Thy servant above the measure of mankind. For Thy consolations are not like unto the discoursings of men.
2What have I done, O Lord, that Thou shouldst bestow any heavenly comfort upon me? I remember not that I have done any good, but have been ever prone to sin and slow to amendment. It is true and I cannot deny it. If I should say otherwise, Thou wouldst rise up against me, and there would be none to defend me. What have I deserved for my sins but hell and everlasting fire? In very truth I confess that I am worthy of all scorn and contempt, nor is it fit that I should be remembered among Thy faithful servants. And although I be unwilling to hear this, nevertheless I will for the Truth's sake, accuse myself of my sins, that the more readily I may prevail to be accounted worthy of Thy mercy.
3What shall I say, guilty that I am and filled with confusion? I have no mouth to utter, unless it be this word alone, "I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned; have mercy upon me, forgive me." Let me alone, that I may take comfort a little before I go whence I shall not return even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death.(2) What dost Thou so much require of a guilty and miserable sinner, as that he be contrite, and humble himself for his sins? In true contrition and humiliation of heart is begotten the hope of pardon, the troubled conscience is reconciled, lost grace is recovered, a man is preserved from the wrath to come, and God and the penitent soul hasten to meet each other with a holy kiss.(3)
4The humble contrition of sinners is an acceptable sacrifice unto Thee, O Lord, sending forth a smell sweeter far in Thy sight than the incense. This also is that pleasant ointment which Thou wouldst have poured upon Thy sacred feet, for a broken and contrite heart Thou hast never despised.(4) There is the place of refuge from the wrathful countenance of the enemy. There is amended and washed away whatsoever evil hath elsewhere been contracted.
(1) Romans ix. 23. (2) Job x. 20, 21. (3) Luke xv. 20. (4) Psalm li. 17.