Revelations of Divine Love — Julian of Norwich

is a full high saint in his sight, and a blessedful: and with this he made mention, that in his youth, and in his tender age, he was a dear worthy servant to God; full greatly God loving and dreading. And nevertheless God suffered him to fall; him mercifully keeping that he perished not, ne lost no time. And afterward God raised him to manifold more grace; and by the contrition and the meekness that he had in his living, God hath given him in heaven manifold joys, overpassing that he should have had, if he had not sinned or fallen. And that this is true, God sheweth in earth with plentuous miracles doing about his body continually. And all this was to make us glad and merry in love,

The Thirty-ninth Chapter

Sin is the sharpest scourge that any chosen soul may be smitten with. Which scourge all-to beateth man or woman, and all-to breaketh him, and purgeth him in his own sight: so far forth, that otherwhile he thinketh himself that he is not worthy, but as it were, to sink into hell, till when contrition taketh him by touching of the Holy Ghost, and turneth the bitterness into hope of Gods mercy. And then begin his wounds to heal, and the soul 02

THE THIRTY-NINTH CHAPTER,

to quicken, turned into the life of Holy Church. The Holy Ghost leadeth him to confession, wilfully to shew his sins nakedly and truly with great sorrow, and with great shame, that he hath so defouled the fair image of God. Then undertaketh he penance for every sin enjoyned by his domes-man, that is grounded in Holy Church, by the teaching of the Holy Ghost. And this is one meekness that greatly pleaseth God, and also meekly taketh bodily sickness of God's sending: also sorrow and shame outwardly, with reproof and despite of the world; with all manner of grievance and temptations that we be cast in, ghostly and bodily: full preciously our good Lord keepeth us, when it seemeth to us that we be near forsaken, and cast away for our sin, and for we see that we have deserved it. And because of the meekness that we get thereby, we be raised full high in God's sight by his grace. And also whom our Lord will he visiteth of his special grace with so great contrition, and also with compassion, and true longing to God, that they be suddenly delivered of sin and of pain, and taken up to bliss, and made even with saints. By contrition, we be made clean; by compassion we be made ready; and by true longing to God we be made worthy. j These be ¿ree means as I understocd, whereby

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THE THIRTEENTH REVELATION, |

that all souls come to heaven; that is to say, that have been sinners in earth, and shall be saved: for by these medicines behoveth that every sinful soul be healed ; though [after] that he be healed, his wounds be seen before God not as wounds, but as worships. And so on the contrariwise, as we be punished here with sorrow and with penance, we shall be rewarded in heaven by the courteous love of our God Almighty, that will that none that come there leese his travel in any degree: for he beholdeth sin as sorrow and pains to his lovers, in whom he assigneth no blame for love. The meed that we undertake [receive |, shall not be litle, but it shall be high, glorious and worshipful ; and so shall all shame turn to worship and to joy. Forour courteous Lord will not that his servants despair for oft failing, ne for grievous falling ; for our falling letteth not him to love us; peace and love is ever in us, being and working; but we be not ever in peace and in love. But he wil we take heed thus, that he is ground of all our whole life in love; and furthermore, that he is our everlasting Keeper, and mightily defendeth us against all our enemies that be full fell, and full fierce upon us. And so much our need is the more ; for we give them occasion by our falling. —p. 94 m ——— eaten eye AADS SRDAN sce KRA Pd ORS

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THE FORTIETH CHAPTER,

The Fortieth Chapter