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← The Imitation of Christ/Book 3 · On Inward Consolation
Chapter 54Imit.3.54

De diversis motibus naturæ et gratiæ.

The Call to Discernment

The disciple is urged to attend carefully to the subtle and opposing movements of nature and grace, which are easily confused under the appearance of good.

Son, pay close attention to the movements of nature and of grace, because they move in deeply contrary and subtle ways, and they can scarcely be discerned except by a spiritual person who is inwardly enlightened.12 All people indeed desire what is good, and they put forward something good in their words or deeds; therefore, under the appearance of good, many are deceived.34

Nature's Cunning and Grace's Simplicity

Nature is crafty and self-serving, while grace walks simply, purely for God's sake, and rests in God alone.

Nature is crafty, and it draws many in, ensnares them, and deceives them — and it always treats itself as the final goal. But grace walks simply, and turns aside from every kind of evil. It doesn't put on a false front — it does all things purely for God's sake, and in God it finally rests.56

Death to Self Versus Self-Preservation

Nature resists subjection and death to self, whereas grace embraces mortification, discipline, and humble submission to God and others.

Nature reluctantly wants to die, and it doesn't want to be pressed down, overcome, or made subject — it doesn't want to be subjugated of its own accord. Grace, on the other hand, is devoted to mortifying self, resists sensuality, seeks to be subjected, desires to be conquered, and does not want to enjoy its own freedom. Under discipline it loves to be held in check, and it doesn't want to rule over anyone. Instead, it is always ready to live, stand, and exist under God, and to bow down humbly before every human creature for God's sake.7

Self-Interest Versus the Common Good

Nature seeks its own profit, while grace looks to the benefit of many rather than itself.

Nature works for its own advantage and pays attention to whatever profit comes to it and to another. Grace, however, considers not what is useful and advantageous to itself, but what benefits many.

Honor and Shame

Nature craves honor and fears contempt, but grace gives all glory to God and rejoices to suffer abuse for Christ's name.

Nature willingly accepts honor and reverence. Grace, indeed, faithfully attributes all honor and glory to God.8 Nature fears shame and contempt. Grace, however, rejoices to suffer abuse for the name of Jesus.✦9

Rest and Labor

Nature loves ease and bodily rest, while grace willingly embraces labor and cannot remain idle.

Nature loves leisure and bodily rest. Grace, however, cannot be idle; it willingly embraces labor.

Simplicity Over Novelty

Nature pursues what is novel and beautiful and shuns the coarse, but grace delights in simplicity and humility.

Nature wants what's new and beautiful, and turns away from what's cheap and coarse. Grace, on the other hand, delights in what's simple and humble; it doesn't despise what's harsh, and it doesn't refuse to be clothed in worn-out garments.10

Temporal Versus Eternal Treasure

Nature is bound to temporal gains and losses, while grace fixes its treasure and joy in heaven, beyond all that perishes.

Nature looks to temporal things; it rejoices at earthly gains, is saddened by loss, and is provoked by a slight word of injury. But grace attends to eternal things; it does not cling to what is temporal, nor is it disturbed by the loss of things, nor is it embittered by harsher words — because it has placed its treasure and its joy in heaven, where nothing perishes.11

Giving and Receiving

Nature is greedy and clings to what is its own, but grace is generous, content with little, and counts it more blessed to give than to receive.

Nature is greedy, and would rather receive than give; it loves what's its own and what's private. Grace, on the other hand, is devout and generous; it shuns what is peculiar to itself, is content with little, and judges it more blessed to give than to receive.✦12

Drawn to the World or to God

Nature inclines toward creatures, flesh, and vanity, while grace draws the soul to God, renounces the world, and restrains its wanderings.

Nature inclines toward creatures, toward its own flesh, toward vanity, and toward restless wandering.13 But grace draws toward God and toward virtue, renounces creatures, flees the world, hates the desires of the flesh, restrains its wanderings, and is ashamed to appear in public.1415

Outward Comfort and Inward Consolation

Nature seeks sensory pleasure and outward comfort, but grace finds its consolation in God alone, delighting in the highest good beyond all visible things.

Nature gladly clings to some outward comfort, something it can enjoy on a purely sensory level. But grace seeks its comfort in God alone, delighting in the highest good beyond all visible things.

Seeking Reward or Seeking God Alone

Nature acts for its own advantage and desires praise or return, while grace seeks nothing temporal and asks only God as its reward.

Nature acts entirely for profit and its own advantage — it can do nothing freely. It hopes to obtain in return for its good deeds either something equal, or something better, or praise, or favor, and it eagerly desires that its own deeds, gifts, and words be highly valued.16 Grace, however, seeks nothing temporal, and demands no reward other than God alone as its payment. It desires no more in the way of temporal necessities than what may serve to help it attain eternal things.171819

Worldly Favor and Godly Love

Nature boasts of lineage, flatters the powerful, and applauds its own kind, but grace loves enemies, favors the poor, and encourages all to grow in virtue and likeness to Christ.

Nature delights in having many friends and relatives, boasts of a noble birth and family lineage; it smiles on the powerful, flatters the rich, and applauds those who are like itself. Grace, on the other hand, loves even its enemies and is not puffed up by a crowd of friends; it pays no regard to place or family origin unless greater virtue is found there. It favors the poor more than the rich, feels deeper sympathy for the innocent than for the powerful, rejoices with the truthful and not with the deceitful. It always encourages good people to strive after the greater gifts and to be made like the Son of God through the virtues.✦2021

Complaint and Steadfastness in Suffering

Nature quickly complains under hardship, but grace bears want with steadfast endurance.

Nature quickly complains about its lack and trouble. Grace bears want steadfastly.

Self-Assurance and Submission to God

Nature turns everything back to itself and argues its own cause, while grace refers all things to God, claims nothing for itself, and submits to divine wisdom.

Nature turns everything back to itself, fights for its own interests, and pleads its own cause. Grace, on the other hand, directs all things back to God, from whom they originally flow. It claims nothing good for itself and does not arrogantly presume. It does not argue, nor does it prefer its own opinion to others', but in every perception and understanding it submits itself to eternal wisdom and to the divine judgment.2223

Curiosity and Hidden Humility

Nature craves novelty, outward display, and praise, but grace restrains the senses, hides what is worthy of admiration, and seeks only the glory of God in all things.

Our nature wants to know secrets and hear new things; it wants to be seen outwardly and to experience many things through the senses; it longs to be recognized and to do things that bring praise and admiration. But grace doesn't care about perceiving new or curious things, because all of this has arisen from the old corruption, since nothing new and lasting exists on the earth.✦24 It therefore teaches the senses to restrain vain complacency and to avoid ostentation, to humbly hide things worthy of praise and things worthy of wonder, and from every matter and every knowledge to seek the fruit of usefulness and the praise and honor of God. It doesn't wish itself or its own things to be proclaimed, but desires that God be blessed in his gifts, who bestows all things from pure love.25

Grace as Divine Light and Seal of Salvation

Grace is a supernatural light and seal of the elect that raises the soul from earth to heaven, and as nature is overcome, grace renews the inner person daily into the image of God.

This grace is a supernatural light, a special gift from God, truly the seal of the elect and the pledge of eternal salvation. It raises a person from earthly things to the heavenly things that are to be loved, and makes them spiritual out of what was carnal.✦ The more severely nature is pressed down and overcome, the greater the grace that is poured in, and day by day the inner person is reformed according to the image of God by fresh visitations.✦

Read the original Latin

Fili, diligenter adverte motus naturæ et gratiæ: quia valde contrarie et subtiliter moventur, et vix nisi a spirituali et intime illuminato homine discernuntur. Omnes quidem bonum appetunt, et aliquid boni in suis dictis vel factis prætendunt: ideo sub specie boni multi falluntur.

Natura callida est et multos trahit, illaqueat, et decipit, et se semper pro fine habet. Sed gratia simpliciter ambulat, et ab omni specie mala declinat, fallacias non prætendit, et omnia pure propter Deum agit, in quo et finaliter requiescit.

Natura invite vult mori, nec premi nec superari vult, nec subesse nec sponte subjugari. Gratia vero studet mortificationi propriæ, resistit sensualitati, quærit subjici, appetit vinci, nec propria vult libertate fungi, sub disciplina amat teneri, nec alicui cupit dominari: sed sub Dei semper vivere, stare et esse, atque propter Deum omni humanæ creaturæ humiliter parata est inclinari.

Natura pro suo commodo laborat, et quidquid lucri sibi et alio proveniat attendit. Gratia autem non quid sibi utile et commodum sit, sed quod multis proficiat, magis considerat.

Natura libenter honorem accipit et reverentiam. Gratia vero omnem honorem, et gloriam Deo fideliter attribuit.

Natura confusionem timet et contemtum. Gratia autem gaudet pro nomine Jesu contumeliam pati.

Natura otium amat, et quietem corporalem. Gratia vero vacua esse non potest, sed libenter amplectitur laborem.

Natura quærit curiosa habere et pulchra, et abhorret vilia, et grossa. Gratia vero simplicibus delectatur et humilibus; aspera non aspernatur, nec vetustis refugit indui pannis.

Natura respicit temporalia, gaudet ad lucra terrena, tristatur de damno, irritatur de levi injuriæ verbo. Sed gratia attendit æterna, non inhæret temporalibus, nec in perditione rerum turbatur, neque verbis durioribus acerbatur, quia thesaurum suum et gaudium in cælo, ubi nihil perit, constituit.

Natura cupida est, et libentius accipit quam donat; amat propria et privata. Gratia autem pia est et communis, vitat singularia, contentatur paucis, beatius judicat dare quam accipere.

Natura inclinat ad creaturas ad carnem propriam, ad vanitatem, et discursus. Sed gratia trahit ad Deum, et ad virtutes, renuntiat creaturis, fugit mundum, odit carnis desideria, restringit evagationes, erubescit in publico apparere.

Natura aliquod solatium libenter habet externum, in quo delectetur ad sensum. Sed gratia in solo Deo quærit consolari, et in summo bono super omnia visibilia delectari.

Natura totum agit propter lucrum, et commodum proprium, nihil gratis facere potest: sed aut æquale, aut melius, aut laudem, aut favorem pro benefactis consequi sperat et multum ponderari sua gesta et dona et dicta concupiscit. Gratia vero nihil temporale quærit, nec aliud præmium quam Deum solum pro mercede postulat, nec amplius de temporalibus necessariis desiderat, nisi quantum hæc sibi ad assecutionem æternorum valeant deservire.

Natura gaudet de amicis multis et propinquis, gloriatur de nobili loco, et ortu generis; arridet potentibus, blanditur divitibus, applaudit sibi similibus. Gratia autem etiam inimicos diligit, nec de amicorum turba extollitur, nec locum, nec ortum natalium reputat, nisi ubi virtus major fuerit, favet magis pauperi quam diviti, compatitur plus innocenti quam potenti, congaudet veraci et non fallaci, exhortatur semper bonos meliora charismata æmulari, et Filio Dei per virtutes assimilari.

Natura de defectu et molestia cito conqueritur. Gratia constanter fert inopiam.

Natura ad se omnia reflectit, pro se certat et arguit. Gratia autem ad Deum cuncta reducit, unde originaliter emanant, nihil boni sibi adscribit nec arroganter præsumit, non contendit, nec suam sententiam aliis præfert, sed in omni sensu, et intellectu æternæ sapientiæ ac divino examini se submittit.

Natura appetit scire secreta, et nova audire; vult exterius apparere et multa per sensus experiri; desiderat agnosci, et agere unde laus et admiratio procedit. Sed gratia non curat nova nec curiosa percipere, quia totum hoc de vetustate corruptionis est ortum, cum nihil novum et durabile est super terram. Docet itaque sensus restringere, vanam complacentiam et ostentationem devitare, laudanda et digne miranda humiliter abscondere, et de omni re et de omni scientia utilitatis fructum, atque Dei laudem et honorem quærere. Non vult se nec sua prædicari; sed Deum in donis suis optat benedici, qui cuncta ex mera charitate largitur.

Hæc gratia supernaturale lumen, et quoddam Dei speciale donum est, et proprie electorum signaculum, et pignus salutis æternæ: quæ hominem de terrenis ad cælestia amanda sustollit, et de carnali spiritualem efficit. Quanto igitur natura amplius premitur, et vincitur, tanto major gratia infunditur, et quotidie novis visitationibus interior homo secundum imaginem Dei reformatur.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Acts.5.41 — So they went away from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name.
  2. ↩Acts.20.35 — In all things I showed you that by laboring in this way you must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'
  3. ↩Rom.8.29 — For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
  4. ↩Eccl.1.9-Eccl.1.10 — What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun. Eccl.1.10 — Is there a thing of which someone might say, "Look, this is new"? It has already been, in the ages that were before us.
  5. ↩Eph.1.13-Eph.1.14;2Cor.1.22 — In him you also, having heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation—in him, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. Eph.1.14 — who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory. 2Cor.1.22 — who also sealed us and gave the guarantee of the Spirit in our hearts
  6. ↩2Cor.3.18;Rom.12.2 — And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. Rom.12.2 — And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩The quia clause is rendered as causal ('because'), introducing the reason for the imperative adverte. An explanatory reading ('in that') is also possible.
  2. 2 ↩Gratiæ rendered as 'grace' per lexeme policy (divine gift/effect). Naturæ rendered as 'nature' in the sense of natural impulse or inclination, contrasted with grace.
  3. 3 ↩Ideo rendered as 'therefore' to preserve the resultative force linking the universal desire for good to the consequent deception.
  4. 4 ↩Bonum/boni rendered as 'good' throughout, preserving the ambiguity between genuine good and the mere appearance of good (specie boni).
  5. 5 ↩gratia rendered as 'grace' per lexeme policy (divine gift/effect).
  6. 6 ↩in quo et finaliter requiescit: 'in whom it finally rests' — the relative quo refers to Deum; grace finds its ultimate repose in God.
  7. 7 ↩mortificationi propriæ — 'mortification of one's own (nature)': propriæ agrees with an implied naturæ or with the self's own carnal inclination. Rendered as 'mortifying self' to capture the ascetical sense without over-specifying.
  8. 8 ↩vero rendered as confirmatory 'indeed'; adversative or emphatic readings also possible.
  9. 9 ↩The raw text reads 'Grata autem gaudet,' which is a likely corruption of 'Gratia autem gaudet.' The normalized reading 'Gratia' (grace) is adopted here, as it fits the chapter's sustained contrast between nature and grace.
  10. 10 ↩vero rendered as 'on the other hand' to capture the adversative force contrasting grace with the preceding description of nature.
  11. 11 ↩The phrase 'where nothing perishes' echoes the treasure-in-heaven motif (cf. Matt. 6:19–20 / Luke 12:33–34), but the exact wording does not match a single Vulgate verse directly; resolution deferred.
  12. 12 ↩Cf. Acts 20:35 — 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'
  13. 13 ↩Discursus rendered as 'restless wandering' to capture the sense of aimless, scattered movement outward — the opposite of interior recollection.
  14. 14 ↩Evagationes rendered as 'wanderings' — parallel to discursus in s1 — capturing aimless outward movement of the mind or affections.
  15. 15 ↩Erubescit in publico apparere: 'is ashamed to appear in public' — grace produces a holy modesty that shuns display, contrasting with nature's restless outward motion.
  16. 16 ↩The series aut…aut…aut…aut coordinates four alternative objects of sperat ('hopes'), rendered with 'either…or…or…or' to preserve the disjunctive force.
  17. 17 ↩Vero marks the adversative shift from Natura to Gratia as subject; rendered as 'however' to capture the contrastive transition.
  18. 18 ↩Nec…nec coordinates two negative clauses; rendered as 'and…no more' to preserve the negative-additive pair naturally.
  19. 19 ↩Nisi quantum introduces a limiting clause ('except insofar as'); rendered as 'than what may' to convey the sense that temporal necessities are accepted only to the extent they serve eternal ends.
  20. 20 ↩charismata rendered as 'gifts' (spiritual gifts/graces), preserving the Pauline resonance of the Greek loanword.
  21. 21 ↩autem treated as adversative ('on the other hand') to mark the contrast with nature in the preceding sentence; continuative reading ('moreover') is also possible.
  22. 22 ↩autem rendered as 'on the other hand' to capture the adversative force contrasting grace with the preceding description of nature. The connective chain nec…nec…sed is rendered as 'and does not…nor does it…but' to preserve the cumulative negation and final contrast.
  23. 23 ↩examen rendered as 'divine judgment' rather than 'scale' or 'test' to preserve the sense of God's authoritative assessment.
  24. 24 ↩The clause 'nihil novum et durabile est super terram' echoes Ecclesiastes 1:9–10 ('nihil sub sole novum'). Candidate allusion; final resolution deferred to tx-08 Moses stage.
  25. 25 ↩Charitate rendered as 'love' per lexeme policy; the theological-virtue sense (charity) is present but 'love' is the default rendering. A charity/love footnote is warranted given the context of divine generosity.