Revelations of Divine Love — Julian of Norwich

sorrow when God giveth him leave to work, as when he worketh not; and that is, for he may never do as ill as he would, for his might is all locked in God’s hand; but in God may be no wrath as to my sight. For our good Lord endlesly having regard to his own worship, and to the profit of all them that shall be saved, with might and right he withstandeth the reproved [z.e. the Devil, the reprobate], the which of malice and of shrewdness busie them to contrary, and do against God's will. Also I saw our Lord scorning his malice, and naughting his unmight; and he will that we do so. For this sight I laught mightly, and that made them to laugh that were about me, and their laughing was a liking to me: I thought that I would that all my even Christen had seen as I saw, then should all they have laughed with me; but I saw not Christ laughing. But well I wot that sight that be shewed me, made me to laugh: for I understood that we may laugh in comforting of our self, and joying in God, for the fiend is overcome. And there I saw Him scorn his malice ; it was beholding to my understanding into our Lord; that is to say, an inward shewing of sooth fastness without changing of cheere: for as to my sight it is a worshipful property that is in God, which is durable. 39

UE TETTEK EO C124 TIONG

And after this I fell into a sadness, and said, ‘I see three things, game, scorn, and earnest, I see game, that the fiend is overcome: and I see score, that God scorneth him, and he shall be scorned: and l see earnest, that he is overcome by the blessedful passion and death of our Lord Jesu Christ, that was done in full great earnest, and with sad travel.’ And there I said that he is scorned; I meant that God scorneth him, that is to say, for he seeth him now as he shall do without end; for in this God shewed that the fiend is damned. And this meant I, there I said he should be scorned: for I saw he shall be scorned at doomes-day generally of all that shall be saved, to whose salvation he hath had great envy ; for then he shall see that all the woe and tribulation that he hath done them, shall be turned into encrease of their joy without end. And all the pain and the sorrow that he would have brought them to, shall for ever go with him to hell.

p. 40

The Sixth Bebelation The Fourteenth Chapter

ND after this our Lord said, ‘J thank thee of À thy service, and of thy travel of thy youth? And in this my understanding was lift up into heaven, where I saw our Lord God as a lord in his own house, which lord hath called all his dear worthy friends to a solemn feast. Then I saw the Lord taking no place in his own house; but I saw him royally reign in his house, and all fulfilleth it with joy and mirth, endlesly to glad and solace his dear worthy friends, full homely and full curteously with marvelous melody in endless love, in his own fair blessedful cheer: which glorious cheer of the Godhead fulfilleth all heaven of joy and bliss. God shewed three degrees of bliss that each soul shall have in heaven, that willingfully hath served God in any degree in earth. The frst is, the worship and thanks that he shall receive of our Lord God when he is delivered of paine: this thanks is so high and so worshipful, that him thinketh that it 41

THE SIXTH REVELATION.