Introduction / 13

THE FIRST BOOK
Admonitions Useful for a Spiritual Life

1. Of the Imitation of Christ, and Contempt of All the Vanities of the World / 25
2. Of Thinking Humbly of Ourselves / 28
3. Of the Doctrine of Truth / 31
4. Of Wisdom and Forethought in Our Actions / 35
5. Of the Reading of Holy Scriptures   / 37
6. Of Inordinate Affections   / 39
7. Of Fleeing From Vain Hope and Pride / 41
8. That Too Much Familiarity Is to Be Shunned   / 43
9. Of Obedience and Subjection / 45
10. Of Avoiding Superfluity in Words / 47
11. Of the Obtaining of Peace, and Zealous Desire for Progress in Grace / 49
12. Of the Profit of Adversity / 52
13. Of Resisting Temptation / 54
14. Of Avoiding Rash Judgment / 58
15. Of Works Done in Charity / 60
16. Of Bearing With the Defects of Others / 62
17. Of a Retired Life / 64
18. Of the Examples of the Holy Fathers / 66
19. Of the Exercises of a Good Religious Person / 69
20. Of the Love of Solitude and Silence / 73
21. Of Compunction of Heart / 78
22. Of the Consideration of Human Misery / 81
23. Of Meditation on Death / 86
24. Of Judgment, and the Punishment of Sinners / 91
25. Of the Zealous Amendment of Our Whole Life / 96

THE SECOND BOOK
Admonitions Tending to Things Internal

1. Of the Inward Life / 105
2. Of Humble Submission / 110
3. Of a Good Peaceable Man / 112
4. Of a Pure Mind, and Simple Intention / 115
5. Of the Consideration of One’s Self / 117
6. Of the Joy of a Good Conscience / 119
7. Of the Love of Jesus Above All Things / 122
8. Of Familiar Converse With Jesus / 124
9. Of the Want of All Comfort / 128
10. Of Gratitude for the Grace of God   / 133
11. How Few Are the Lovers of the Cross of Jesus / 136
12. Of the King’s Highway of the Holy Cross / 139

THE THIRD BOOK
Of Internal Consolations

1. Of Christ’s Speaking Inwardly to the Faithful Soul / 149
2. That the Truth Speaketh Inwardly Without Noise
    of Words / 151
3. That the Words of God Are to Be Heard With
    Humility, and That Many Weigh Them Not / 153
4. That We Ought to Live in Truth and Humility
    Before God / 157
5. Of the Wonderful Effect of Divine Love / 160
6. Of the Proof of a True Lover of Christ / 164
7. Of Concealing Grace Under the Guard of Humility / 168
8. Of a Mean Conceit of Ourselves in the Sight of God / 172
9. That All Things Are to Be Referred Unto God,
    as Their Last End / 174
10. That to Despise the World and Serve God Is a
      Sweet Life / 176
11. That the Longings and Desires of Our Hearts / 180
Are to Be Exam-ined and Moderated
12. Of the Growth of Patience in the Soul, and of
      Striving Against Concupiscence / 182
13. Of the Obedience of One in Humble Subjection,
     After the Example of Jesus Christ / 185
14. Of the Duty of Considering the Secret Judgments
      of God, That So We Be Not Lifted Up for Anything
      Good in Us / 187
15. In Everything Which We Desire, How We Ought   / 190
to Stand Affected, and What We Ought to Say
16. That True Comfort Is to Be Sought in God Alone   / 193
17. That All Our Anxieties Are to Be Placed on God   / 195
18. That Temporal Miseries Must Be Borne Patiently,
      After the Example of Christ / 197
19. Of the Endurance of Injuries, and of the Proof of
      True Patience / 200
20. Of the Confession of Our Own Infirmities,
     and of the Miseries of This Life / 203
21. That We Are to Rest in God Above All Things
      Which Are Good, and Above All His Own Gifts / 206
22. Of the Remembrance of God’s Manifold Benefits / 210
23. Of Four Things That Bring Much Inward Peace / 213
24. Of Avoiding Curious Inquiry Into Other Men’s
     Lives / 217
25. Wherein Firm Peace of Heart and True Spiritual
      Progress Consisteth / 219
26. Of the Excellence of a Free Mind, Which Is Sooner
      Gained by Humble Prayer Than by Reading / 222
27. That It Is Self-Love Which Most Hindereth
      From the Chiefest Good / 224
28. Against the Tongues of Slanderers   / 227
29. How We Ought to Call Upon God, and to Bless
      Him, When Tribulation Is Upon Us / 228
30. Of Craving the Divine Aid, and Confidence of
      Recovering Grace / 230
31. Of the Contempt of All Creatures, to Find Out the Creator / 234
32. Of Self-Denial, and Renouncing Every Evil Appetite / 237
33. Of Inconstancy of Heart, and of Having Our Final
      Intentions Directed Unto God / 239
34. That God Is Sweet Above All Things, and in
      All Things, to Him That Loveth Him / 241
35. That There Is No Security From Temptation in
      This Life / 244
36. Against the Vain Judgments of Men / 247
37. Of Pure and Entire Resignation of Ourselves,
      for the Obtaining Freedom of Heart / 249
38. Of Good Government in Things External,
      and of Having Recourse to God in Dangers / 252
39. That a Man Should Not Be Fretful in Matters of Business / 254
40. That Man Hath No Good of Himself,
      Nor Anything in Which He Can Glory / 256
41. Of the Contempt of All Temporal Honor / 259
42. That Our Peace Is Not to Be Placed in Men / 260
43. Against Vain and Secular Knowledge   / 262
44. Of Not Fetching Trouble to Ourselves From Outward Things / 265
45. That Credit Is Not to Be Given to All, and That Man Is Prone
      to Offend in Words / 267
46. Of Putting Our Trust in God When Evil Words Arise / 271
47. That All Grievous Things Are to Be Endured
      for the Sake of Eternal Life / 274
48. Of the Day of Eternity and This Life’s Straitnesses / 277
49. Of the Desire of Everlasting Life, and How Great Rewards
      Are Promised to Those That Strive Resolutely / 281
50. How a Desolate Person Ought to Offer Himself Into the Hands
     of God / 286
51. That a Man Ought to Employ Himself in Works of Humility,
      When Strength Is Wanting for Higher Employments / 291
52. That a Man Ought Not to Account Himself as Worthy
      of Comfort, but Rather as Deserving of Chastisement / 293
53. That the Grace of God Doth Not Join Itself With Those
      Who Cherish Earthly Things / 296
54. Of the Different Motions of Nature and Grace / 299
55. Of the Corruption of Nature, and of the Efficacy of Divine Grace / 304
56. That We Ought to Deny Ourselves and Imitate Christ by the Cross / 308
57. That a Man Should Not Be Too Much Dejected, Even When
      He Falleth Into Some Defects / 311
58. That High Matters, and God’s Secret Judgments,
      Are Not to Be Narrowly Inquired Into / 314
59. That All Our Hope and Trust Is to Be Fixed in God Alone / 320

THE FOURTH BOOK
Concerning the Sacrament
A Devout Exhortation to the Holy Communion

1. With How Great Reverence Christ Ought to Be Received / 325
2. That the Great Goodness and Love of God Is Exhibited to
    Man in This Sacrament / 332
3. That It Is Profitable to Communicate Often / 336
4. That Many Benefits Are Bestowed Upon Them
    That Communicate Devoutly / 339
5. Of the Dignity of the Sacrament, and of the Ministerial Function / 343
6. An Inquiry Concerning Spiritual Exercise Before Communion / 346
7. Of Thoroughly Examining Our Own Conscience,
    and of Holy Purposes of Amendment / 347
8. Of the Offering of Christ on the Cross, and of Resignation
    of Ourselves / 350
9. That We Ought to Offer Up Ourselves, and
    All That Is Ours, Unto God, and to Pray for All / 352
10. That the Holy Communion Is Not Lightly to Be Forborne / 355
11. That the Body of Christ and the Holy Scriptures
      Are Most Necessary Unto a Faithful Soul / 360
12. That He Who Is About to Communicate With
      Christ Ought to Prepare Himself With Great Diligence / 365
13. That the Devout Soul Ought With the Whole A
      Heart to Seek Union With Christ in the Sacrament / 368
14. Of the Fervent Desire of Some Devout Persons to Receive
     the Body of Christ / 371
15. That the Grace of Devotion Is Obtained by Humility and
      Denial of Ourselves / 373
16. That We Ought to Lay Open Our Necessities to Christ
     and Crave His Grace / 376
17. Of Fervent Love, and Vehement Desire to Receive Christ / 378
18. That a Man Should Not Be a Curious Searcher
      Into the Holy Sacrament, but an Humble Follower
      of Christ, Submitting His Sense to Divine Faith / 381

To Think About   / 384

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