THE IMITATION OF CHRIST

SECOND BOOK - CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER TWELVE: THE ROYAL WAY OF THE HOLY CROSS

1. That seemeth a hard saying to many, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow Me.

But it will be much harder to hear that last sentence, Depart from me, ye wicked, into eternal fire.

For they who now willingly hear the word of the Cross and follow it, shall not then fear the hearing of eternal damnation.

This sign of the Cross shall be in heaven when the Lord cometh to Judgment.

Then all servants of the Cross, who in life have conformed themselves to the Crucified, shall draw nigh unto Christ the Judge with great
boldness.

2. Why fearest thou then to take up the cross which leadeth to a kingdom?

In the Cross is health, in the Cross is life, in the Cross is protection from enemies, in the Cross is heavenly sweetness, in the Cross strength of mind, in the Cross joy of the spirit, in the Cross the height of
virtue, in the Cross perfection of holiness.

There is no health of the soul, no hope of eternal life, save in the Cross.

Take up therefore, thy cross and follow Jesus and thou shalt go into eternal life.

He went before thee bearing His Cross and died for thee upon the Cross, that thou also mayest bear thy cross and mayest love to be crucified upon it.

For if thou be dead with Him,
thou shalt also live with Him, and if thou be a partaker of His sufferings thou shalt be also of His glory.

3. Behold everything dependeth upon the Cross, and everything lieth in dying; and there is none
other way unto life and to true inward peace, except the way of the Holy Cross and of daily mortification.

Go where thou wilt, seek whatsoever thou wilt, and thou shalt find no higher way above nor safer way below, than the way of the Holy Cross.

Dispose and order all things
according to thine own will and judgment, and thou shalt ever find something to suffer either willingly or unwillingly, and thus thou shalt ever find thy cross.

For thou shalt either feel pain of
body, or tribulation of spirit within thy soul.

4. Sometimes thou wilt be forsaken of God, sometimes thou wilt be tried by thy neighbour, and which is more, thou wilt often be wearisome to thyself.

And still thou canst not be delivered nor eased by any remedy or consolation, but must bear so long as God will.

For God will have thee learn to suffer tribulation without consolation, and to submit thyself fully to it, and by tribulation be made more humble.

No man understandeth the Passion of Christ in his heart so well as he
who hath had somewhat of the like suffering himself.

The Cross therefore is always ready, and every where waiteth for thee.

Thou canst not flee from it whithersoever thou hurriest, for
whithersoever thou comest, thou bearest thyself with thee, and shalt ever find thyself.

Turn thee above, turn thee below, turn thee without, turn thee within, and in them all thou shalt find the
Cross; and needful is it that thou everywhere possess patience if thou wilt have internal peace
and gain the everlasting crown.

5. If thou willingly bear the Cross, it will bear thee, and will bring thee to the end which thou seekest, even where there shall be the end of suffering; though it shall not be here.

If thou bear it unwillingly, thou makest a burden for thyself and greatly increaseth thy load, and yet thou must bear it.

If thou cast away one cross, without doubt thou shalt find another and perchance a heavier.