Thomas a Kempis Men Quotations

Purity and simplicity are the two wings with which man soars above the earth and all temporary nature.

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

All men commend patience, although few are willing to practice it.

A man is hindered and distracted in proportion as he draws outward things to himself.

Occasions do not make a man either strong or weak but they show what he is.

No man ruleth safely but he that is willingly ruled.

He has great tranquillity of heart who cares neither for the praises nor the fault-finding of men. He will easily be content and pacified, whose conscience is pure. You are not holier if you are praised, nor the more worthless if you are found fault with. What you are, that you are; neither by word can you be made greater than what you are in the sight of God.

Man considers the actions, but God weighs the intentions.

All men desire peace, but very few desire those things that make for peace.

Be Yourself -The man who is neither bent upon pleasing his fellows nor afraid of offending them will enjoy great peace.

Every man naturally desires knowledge; but what good is knowledge without fear of God? Indeed a humble rustic who serves God is better than a proud intellectual who neglects his soul to study the course of the stars.

Man sees your actions, but God your motives.

If we live in peace ourselves, we in turn may bring peace to others. A peaceable man does more good than a learned one.

Therefore, a man ought to root himself so firmly in God that he will not need the consolations of men.

It thou seek rest in this life, how wilt thou then attain to the everlasting rest? Dispose not thyself for much rest, but for great patience. Seek true peace--not in earth, but in heaven; not in men, nor in any other creature, but in God alone.

For a small reward, a man will hurry away on a long journey; while for eternal life, many will hardly take a single step.

Do not let your peace depend on the hearts of men; whatever they say about you, good or bad, you are not because of it another man, for as you are, you are.

If you would endeavor, like men of courage, to stand in the battle, surely we would feel the favorable assistance of God from heaven. For he who give the us occasion to fight, to the end we may get the victory, is ready to succor those that fight manfully, and do trust in his grace.

He who knows himself well is mean and abject in his own sight, and takes no delight in the vain praise of men.

Man proposes, but God disposes. [Lat., Nam homo proponit, sed Deus disponit.]

The good devout man first makes inner preparation for the actions he has later to perform. His outward actions do not draw him into lust and vice; rather it is he who bends them into the shape of reason and right judgement. Who has a stiffer battle to fight than the man who is striving to conquer himself.

Study to do another's will rather than thine own. Choose ever to have less rather than more. Seek ever the lower place and to be subject to all; ever wish and pray that the will of God may be perfectly done in thee and in all. Behold such a man enters the bounds of peace and calm.

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.

All men are frail; but thou shouldst reckon none so frail as thyself.

A wise and good man will turn examples of all sorts to his own advantage. The good he will make his patterns, and strive to equal or excel them. The bad he will by all means avoid.

Simplicity and purity are the two wings by which a man is lifted above all earthly things. Simplicity is in the intention - purity in the affection. Simplicity tends to God,- purity apprehends and tastes Him.

Let not your peace rest in the utterances of men, for whether they put a good or bad construction on your conduct does not make you other than you are.

Remain tranquil and prepare to bear still greater trials. All is not lost even though you be troubled oftener or tempted more grievously. You are a man, not God. You are flesh, not an angel. How can you possibly expect to remain always in the same state of virtue when the angels in heaven and the first man in paradise failed to do so? I am He who rescues the afflicted and brings to My divinity those who know their own weakness.

Learned arguments do not make a man holy and righteous, whereas a good life makes him dear to God.

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

May not be your peace in the mouth of the men; since no matter if they thing good or bad about you, you should not be a different man because of that.

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.

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.

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.

Happy is the man who renounces everything which may bring a stain or burden upon his conscience

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

The more spiritual a man desires to be, the more bitter does this present life become to him, because he perceives better and sees more clearly the defects of human corruption.

Whoever puts his confidence in men or in any creature is very foolish.

A man of peace does more good than a very learned man.

Man proposes, but God disposes.

You are a man, not God; you are human, not an angel. How can you expect to remain always in a constant state of virtue, when this was not possible even for an angel of Heaven, nor for the first man in the Garden?

Occasions of adversity best discover how great virtue or strength each one hath. For occasions do not make a man frail, but they show what he is.

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.

Such as every man is inwardly so he judgeth outwardly.

Is a man one whit the better because he is grown great in other men's esteem?

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

In judging others a man laboreth in vain; he often erreth, and easily falleth into sin; but in judging and examining himself he always laboreth to good purpose.

By two wings a man is lifted up from things earthly: by simplicity and purity.

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.

No man is without his load of trouble.

You will never be an inwardly religious and devout man unless you pass over in silence the shortcomings of your fellow men, and diligently examine your own weaknesses.

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.

For man plans, but God arranges.

The end of all is death and man's life passeth away suddenly as a shadow.

Old custom is hard to break and scarce any man will be led otherwise than seemeth good unto himself.

A man that is well ordered in his soul needeth little the unkind demeanor of worldly people nor yet their proud behavior.

No man is safe above but he that will gladly be beneath.

God is able to do more than man can understand.

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