Revelations of Divine Love — Julian of Norwich

Turs shewing was given to my understanding, to learne our soul wisely to cleave to the goodnes of God, and in that same time the custome of our praier was brought to my mind, how that we use, for unknowing of love, to make many meanes. Then sawe I verilie that it is more worship to God, and more verie delight that we faithfullie pray to himself of his goodnes, and cleave therto by his grace with true understanding and stedfast beleif, then if we made all the meanes that heart may think. For if we make all these meanes, it is too litle, and not full worship to God: but in his goodnes is all the whole; and there faileth right nought. For thus as I shall saie, came to my minde in the same time: we pray to God for his holie flesh, and for his precious blood, his holie passion, his deare worthie death, and worshipfull wounds; for all 15

THE FIRST REVELATION.

the blessed kindenes and the endles life that we have of all this, it is of the goodnes of God. And we praie him for his sweet mothers love that bare him ; and all the helpe that we have of her it is of his goodnes. And we praie for his holie crosse that he died on; and all the helpe, and all the vertue of that we have of that crosse, it is of his goodnes. And on the same wise, all the helpe that we have to special saints, and of all the blessed companie of heaven; the deare worthie love, and the holy endles friendship that we have of them, it is of his goodness. For the meanes that the goodnes of God hath ordeined for to helpe us, be full faire and many. Of which the chiefe and principall meane is the blessed kinde that he took of the maiden, with all the meanes that went before, and come after, which be longing to our redemption and to our endless |, salvation.

Wherefore it pleaseth him, that we seeke him, |, and worship him by meanes; understanding, and | knowing that he is the goodnes of all.

For to the goodnes of God is the highest praier, |, and it cometh down to us to the lowest partie of | our neede; it quickneth our soule, and maketh it | live, and makes it to waxe in grace and vertue; it |, is nearest in kind and readiest in grace,

p. 16

THE SIXTH CHAPTER

For it is the same grace that the soule seeketh, and ever shall till we know our God verilie that

: hath us all in himself beclosed. | A man goeth upright, and the soule of his body i is sparred as a purse full faire, and when it is time of his necessity, it is opened and sparred againe full | honestlie. | And that it is he that doth this, it is shewed there where he saith, ‘He cometh donne to us to the lowest part of our need.’ For he hath no despite of that he made, ne hath he no disdaine to serve us at the simplest office that to our bodie longeth | in kind, for love of the soule that he made to his | own likenes. For as the bodie is cladd in the cloath, and the | flesh in the skinn, and the bones in the flesh, and | the heart in the bulke, so are we soule and bodie : | cladd and enclosed in the goodnes of God: yea, | and more homelie, for all they vanish and wast | away, the goodnes of God is ever whole and more : nere to us without any comparison. | For truelie our Lover desireth that the soule | cleave to him with all the mightes, and that we | be evermore cleaving to his goodnes: for of all thing that heart can thinke it pleaseth most God, and soonest speedeth. | For our sonle is «o preciouslie loved of him that is Lr 3

THE FIRST REVELATION.

highest, that it over-passeth the knowing of all creatures: That; is to saie, there is no creature that is made, that may wit how much, and how sweetly, and how tenderlie that our Maker loveth us. And therefore, we may with his grace and his helpe, stand in ghostlie beholding with everlasting marvailing in this high over-passing unmeasurable love that our Lord hath to us of his goodnes. And therefore, we may aske of our Lover with reverence, all that we will: for our kindlie will is to have God, and the goodwill of God is to have us: and we may never cease of willing, ne of loving, till we have him in fulhead of joy. And then we may no more will; for he will that we be occupied in knowing and loving, till the time cometh that we shall be fulfilled in heaven. And therefore was this lesson of love shewed with all that followeth as you shall see; for the strength and the ground of all was shewed in the first sight: for of all things, the beholding and the charity to his even Christian.

TRASHED D ARS S RAA SAE: ot E cs

THE SEVENTH CHAPTER,

The Seventh Chapter

Ann to learn us this as to my understanding, our | good Lord shewed our Lady Mary in the same i time, that is to mean, the high wisdom and truth ! that she had in beholding her Maker. : This wisdom and truth made her to behold her God so great, so high, so mighty, and so good This greatness and this noblety of her beholding of God, fulfilled her of reverend deed [dread]: and | with this she saw herself so litle and so low, so | simple and so poor, in regard of her God, that this reverend dread fulfilled her of meekness. And | thus by this ground she was fulfilled of grace, | and of all manner of vertues, and passeth all

' Í creatures.