The guardian., 1951-01-27

]
come up to mind as we open the
treatise De Imitatione Christi,
Small though it is in size, it has
outlived whole Libraries of pom
derous tones. Springing from q
monastery, thework of onewhose
life and labors were consecrated
to the Church of Rome, it has
shown so clear a stamp of our
common Christianity, and has
borne besides so few traces of
error in doctrine, precept or eX-
ample, that the followers of
Luther and Calvin, of Cranmer |
and Knox, Of Whitefield and
Wesley, have owned it as worthy
of use in the souls humble access |
to its Makers presence. And so |
this little volume,--a book for
the heart and the closet,-comes /
down to us with the consenting
voice of all past time in its praise,
since the day it first came forth I
from the cell of a Kempis. And
whether its words of prayer and
precept, its rules for holy living
and self-examination, have met
the eye from the parchment
page, glowing with the painters
witching skill, and splendid in
its surrounding of ivory, gold, or
precious stones, or from the we'll
thumbled pocket volume, dear
to the humble Christian of some
unknown spot of earth, its voice
has been ever the same. It takes
of the things of Christ and COM
mends them unto us. It reveals
the mind, and it repeats the
words, of Him who was "given
to be unto us both a sacrifice
for sin, and also an example of
godly life" Is the Master heard
nowadays as of old, crying in
the market-places or whispering
in the ear the gracious Follow
Me-" of invitation? To Christ
and to His service this little book,
the precious legacy of the old
Christianity, summons us with
ceaseless call. Does the Lord lay
on our shoulders the cross, and
bid us trace the Via Dolorosa of
sucering, shame, and sorrow?
All! this little book has been the
souls companion through many
a sad Gethsemane, and up the
steep sides of many a spiritual
Golgotha. And does the Lord in
mercy to us mingle with His
commands, promises OF the hun
dred-fold recompense of reward?
Here, too, is the crown displayed
above the cross, and in the splen-
dor of its shining we are taught
to despise the same, and deem
the earth's affections light. 1t
would have us followers of
Christ, not afar off, as was Peter
the night of the betrayal, but
near at hand, pressing close and
closer to our Lord. slowly, like
the lowly Jesus, would it make
us, who would take His yoke
upon us and learn of Him. Hum
BILE, as He was who trod SO
patiently the sands of Palestine
on ceaseless missions of willing
service to poor, sick, and suffer
irg humanity, would it make us,
who are so prone to pride, so
selfish in every thought and aim.
1t bids us strive to enter into the
straight gate. Its call is to un-
ceasing watchfulness and prayer.
It opens to us ourselves,-our
hearts that we so willingly veil
even from our own inspection,
and in all our sin and shame it
would bring us to the Saviour,
and when folded it would bring
US to the Saviour, and when
folded in His arms, it would keep
us ever near Him.
It is the close copying of Bible
truths and Bible teachings which
has made this little book
world 'sinvaluableheritage. Times
change, and so do circumstances,
but the heart of man is still the
same. Each generation repeats
the experience of that which pre-
cedes it, and we of today are
called upon to meet the same
trials and temptations, the same
sorrows and disappointments.
which drove the Christian of
medieval times to the cloister,
and which should drive US, not
indeed to the lonely cell of the
anchorite, but to that anchorite's
self-examination, self-denial, and
conservation unto God. There's
is no ''royal road" to heaven, now
that Luther's voice has uttered
the reformation doctrine, in
which reechoed the primitive be-
lief, "The just shall live by
faith" Faith that is real, living,
is an energizing power. Our
union with Christ our Lord, has
tests by which it may be known.
The branch united to the living
vine bears fruit, by which it may
be recognized by all men. As
Chalmers says, "The utter re-
nunciation of self-the surrender
Of all vanity-the patient endur-
ance of evils and wrongs-the
crucifxion of natural and world
ly desires-the absorption of all
our interests and passions in the
enjoyment Of God-and the su-
bordination Of all we do, and of