Revelations of Divine Love — Julian of Norwich

the tempest and the sorrow that we fall in on our party, we be often dead as to mans doome in earth; but in the sight of God, the soul that shall be safe was never dead, ne never shall be. But yet here I wondred and marvelled with all the diligence of my soul meaning thus; ‘Good Lord, I see that thou art the very truth, and I know truly that we sin grievously all day, and be much blameworthy : and I may neither leave the knowing of this sooth, nor I eet not the shewing to us no manner of blame. l 120

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THE FIFTIETH CHAPTER,

i How may this be? for I know by the common d teaching of Holy Church, and by mine own feeling, p | that the blame of our sins continually hangeth upon 1l] us fro the first man, into the time that we come up : | into heaven? Then was this my marvel, that I saw til our Lord God shewing to us no more blame, than if E | we were as clean, and as holy as angels be in heaven. And between these two contraries, my |reason was greatly travelled by my blindness, and lcould have no rest, for dread that his blessed '| presence should pass from my sight, and I to be left in unknowing how he behold us in our sin; for leither me behooved to see in God that sin were all done away, or else me behooved to see in God how he seeth it; whereby I might truly know how it longeth to mee to see sin, and the manner of our :'|blame. My longing endured, him continually be- |holding ; and yet I could have no patience for great ‘tfear and perplexity, thinking if I take it thus, that we be no sinners, nor no blame worthy, it seemeth e jas I should erre, and fail of knowing of this sooth. ; [And if it be true that we be sinners, and blame worthy, good Lord, how may it then be that I [cannot see this truth in thee; which art my God, » (my Maker, in whom I desire to see all truth? For hree points make me hardy to ask it. ‘Ihe first is, {for it is so low a thing, for if it were an high, I 2 {should be adred. The second is, that it is so Ti

THE FOURTEENTH REVELATION. |

common; for if it were special and privy also, I should be adred. The third is, that it needeth me to wit, as me thinketh, if I shall live here, for knowing of good and evil, whereby I may by reason and by grace the more depart them asunder, and love goodness, and hate evil, as Holy Church teacheth. I cried inwardly with all my might, seeking unto God for help; meaning thus, *Ah Lord Jesu, King of bliss, how shall I be eased?’ Who shall tell me, and teach me that me needeth to wit, if I may not at this time see it in thee?

The Fifty-first Chapter

Anp then our courteous Lord answered in shewing full mistely, by a wonderful example of a lord that hath a servant, and gave me sight to my understanding of both: which sight was shewed double in the lord; and the sight was shewed double in the servant, That one party was shewed ghostly in bodily likeness. That other party was shewed more ghostly without bodily likeness. For the first, thus ] saw two persons in bodily likeness; that is to say, a lord and a servant. And therewith God gave me ghostly understanding: the lord sitteth solemnly in rest and in peace: the servant standeth before his lord reverently ready to do his lords will: the 122 =

THE FIFTY-FIRST (CHAPTER,

| i lord looketh upon his servant full lovely, and sweetly, t Jand meekly ; he sendeth him into a certain place to | | do his will. The servant not only he goeth, but i suddenly he starteth, and runneth in great haste for Ilove to do his lords will. And anon he falleth in Í la slade, and taketh full great sorrow; and then he , groneth, and moneth, and walloweth, and wrieth ; | but he may not rise nor help himself by no manner | of way. And of all this the most mischief that I