Thomas à Kempis Quotes

175 Sourced Quotes

In the morning fix thy good purpose; and at night examine thyself what thou hast done, how thou hast behaved thyself in word, deed, and thought.

Thomas à Kempis
What thou art, that thou art; that God knoweth thee to be and thou canst be said to be no greater.

Thomas à Kempis
Simplicity reaches out after God; purity discovers and enjoys Him.

Thomas à Kempis
But because many endeavor to get knowledge rather than to live well, they are often deceived and reap little or no benefit from their labor.

Thomas à Kempis
If you can win complete mastery over self, you will easily master all else. To triumph over self is the perfect victory.

Thomas à Kempis
Trust not to friends and kindred, neither do thou put off the care of thy soul's welfare til hereafter; for men will sooner forget thee than thou art aware of.

Thomas à Kempis
If you seek Jesus in all things you will surely find Jesus. And if you seek yourself, you will surely find yourself, but only to your ruin.

Thomas à Kempis
Love longs to be free, a stranger to every worldly desire, lest its inner vision become dimmed, and lest worldly self-interest hinder it or ill-fortune cast it down.

Thomas à Kempis
If you desire to know or learn anything to your advantage, then take delight in being unknown and unregarded. A true understanding and humble estimate of oneself is the highest and most valuable of all lessons.

Thomas à Kempis
As iron put into the fire loseth its rust and becometh clearly red-hot, so he that wholly turneth himself unto God puts off all slothfulness, and is transformed into a new man.

Thomas à Kempis
Let all your thoughts be with the Most High, and direct your humble prayers unceasingly to Christ. If you cannot contemplate high and heavenly things, take refuge in the Passion of Christ, and love to dwell within His Sacred Wounds. For if you devoutly seek the Wounds of Jesus and the precious marks of His Passion, you will find great strength in all troubles.

Thomas à Kempis
Gladly we desire to make other men perfect, but we will not amend our own fault.

Thomas à Kempis
If thou be not busy for thyself now, who shall be busy for thee in time to come?

Thomas à Kempis
If you cast away one cross, you will certainly find another, and perhaps a heavier.

Thomas à Kempis
Oh how swiftly the glory of the world passes away! If only the lives of these men had been as admirable as their learning, their study and reading would have been to good purpose! But how many in this world care little for the service of God, and perish in their vain learning. Because they choose to be great rather than humble, they perish in their own conceit.

Thomas à Kempis
No man doth safely rule, but he that hath learned gladly to obey.

Thomas à Kempis
Of what use is a long life, if we amend so little? Alas, a long life often adds to our sins rather than to our virtue!

Thomas à Kempis
Restrain an inordinate desire for knowledge, in which is found much anxiety and deception. Learned men always wish to appear so, and desire recognition of their wisdom. But there are many matters, knowledge of which brings little or no advantage to the soul.

Thomas à Kempis
The measure of every man's virtue is best revealed in time of adversity - adversity that does not weaken a man but rather shows what he is.

Thomas à Kempis
How sweet it is to love, and to be dissolved, and as it were to bathe myself in thy love.

Thomas à Kempis
If thou hadst a good conscience thou wouldst not greatly fear death.

Thomas à Kempis
Bodily exercises are to be done discreetly; not to be taken evenly and alike by all men.

Thomas à Kempis
The devil does not tempt unbelievers and sinners who are already his own.

Thomas à Kempis
Blessed is the pilgrim, who in every place, and at all times of this his banishment in the body, calling upon the holy name of Jesus, calleth to mind his native heavenly land, where his blessed Master, the King of saints and angels, waiteth to receive him. Blessed is the pilgrim who seeketh not an abiding place unto himself in this world; but longeth to be dissolved, and be with Christ in heaven.

Thomas à Kempis
Ah, Lord God, thou holy lover of my soul, when thou comest into my heart, all that is within me shall rejoice.

Thomas à Kempis
Too many instances there are of daring men, who by presuming to sound the deep things of religion, have cavilled and argued themselves out of all religion.

Thomas à Kempis
The glory of the good is in their consciences, and not in the tongues of men.

Thomas à Kempis
If you bear the cross unwillingly, you make it a burden, and load yourself more heavily; but you must bear it.

Thomas à Kempis
All His glory and beauty come from within, and there He delights to dwell, His visits there are frequent, His conversation sweet, His comforts refreshing; and His peace passing all understanding.

Thomas à Kempis
There is no man in this world without some manner of tribulation or anguish, though he be king or pope.

Thomas à Kempis