PURITY OF MIND AND UNITY OF PURPOSE

THE IMITATION OF CHRIST

A MAN is raised up from the earth by two wings -- simplicity and purity. There must be simplicity in his intention and purity in his desires. Simplicity leads to God, purity embraces and enjoys Him.

If your heart is free from ill-ordered affection, no good deed will be difficult for you. If you aim at and seek after nothing but the pleasure of God and the welfare of your neighbor, you will enjoy freedom within.

If your heart were right, then every created thing would be a mirror of life for you and a book of holy teaching, for there is no creature so small and worthless that it does not show forth the goodness of God. If inwardly you were good and pure, you would see all things clearly and understand them rightly, for a pure heart penetrates to heaven and hell, and as a man is within, so he judges what is without. If there be joy in the world, the pure of heart certainly possess it; and if there be anguish and affliction anywhere, an evil conscience knows it too well.

As iron cast into fire loses its rust and becomes glowing white, so he who turns completely to God is stripped of his sluggishness and changed into a new man. When a man begins to grow lax, he fears a little toil and welcomes external comfort, but when he begins perfectly to conquer himself and to walk bravely in the ways of God, then he thinks those things less difficult which he thought so hard before.

純一和清潔的意向是超脫世俗事物的一對翅膀，它也能使人傾注、領悟和嘗主恩的滋味。

假使脫離了慾念的束縛，就更能得自由。若專心尋求衪並為鄰舍謀福利，就能享受內心平靜。

若內心忠誠正直、良善清潔，就能透視萬物，領悟萬物，它們都要成為你生活的鏡子與學習模範。無論受造之物是多么卑微，皆顯明神的良善。 清心的人能夠洞察天堂與地獄。一個人內心怎樣，他在外面判斷事物也怎樣。 這世界果真有喜樂的話，也只有清心的人才能看見。 若何處有痛苦、憂愁，心懷惡念的人必最清楚。

一塊鐵放在火中煉淨了，變成光茫熾熱，照樣人脫去怠惰也能成為新造的人，投入神的懐抱。 人若開始逐漸冷淡退步，就怕勞苦，願意得到外在安慰。若嘗試去完全克服自己，勇敢的奔走神的路，那麼，先前似乎苦痛艱難的事，都變得輕省了。