Revelations of Divine Love — Julian of Norwich
is in Jesu. And all of the charity of God, with obedience, meekness, and patience, and vertues that longeth to us. Also in this marvellous example, I have teaching within me, as it were the beginning of an A. B. C. whereby I may have some understanding of our Lords meaning: for the privities of the revelation be hid therein; notwithstanding that all the shewings be full of privities. The sitting of the Father betokeneth the God-head ; that is to say, for shewing of rest and peace: for in the God-head may be no travel. And that he sheweth himself as lord, betokeneth to our manhood: the standing of the servant betokeneth travel: and on the left side betokeneth, that he was not all worthy to stand even right before the lord. His starting was the God-head, and the running was the Man-head ; for the God-head start fro the Father into the maidens womb, falling into the taking of our kind. And in this falling he took great sore: the sore that he took was our flesh, in which as soon as he took it, he had feeling of deadly pains. By that he stood dreadfull before the lord, and not even right, betokeneth that his cloathing was not honest to stand even right before the lord ; nor that might not, nor should not be his office, whiles he was a labourer; nor also he might not sit with the lord in rest and peace, till he had won his peace rightfully with his hard travel. And by the left side, that the Father left his own 135
THE FOURTEENTH REVELATION.
Son wilfully in the manhood, to suffer all mans pain without sparing of him. By that his kirtle was at the point to be ragged and rent; 1s understood the roddes and scourges, the thornes and the nails; the drawing and the dragging, his tender flesh renting, as I saw in some part, the tender flesh was rent from the head-pann, falling on pieces, unto the time the bleeding failed: and then it began to dry again, cleaving to the bone. And by the wallowing, and writhing, groaning, and mourning, is understood that he might never rise all mightily fro that time that he was fallen into the maidens womb, till his body was slain and dead, he yielding the soul into the Fathers hand, with all mankind for whom he was sent. And at this point he began first to shew his might; for then he went into hell. And when he was there, then he raised up the great root out of the deep deepness, which rightfully was kmt to him in high heaven, The body lay in the grave till Easter morrow ; and fro that time he lay never more, for there was nghtfully ended the wallowing, and the writhing, the groaning, and the mourning. And our foul deadly flesh that Gods Son took upon him which was Adams old kirtle, strait, bare, and short, then by our Saviour was made fair, new, white, and bright, and of endless cleanness; wide, and side, fairer and richer than was the cloathing which I saw on the Father, for that cloathing was blew. And 136
THE FIFTY-FIRST CHAPTER
Christs cloathing is now of fair seemly medelour, which is so marvellous that I can it no descrie, for it is all of very worship. Now sitteth not the lord on earth in wilderness, but he sitteth on his rich and noble seat which he made in heaven most to his liking. Now standeth not the Son before the Father, as a servant before the lord, dreadfully cloathed, in party naked: but he standeth before the Father even right richly cloathed, in blissful largeness ; with a crown upon his head of precious richness: for it was shewed that we be his crown: which crown is the Fathers joy, the Sons worship, the Holy Ghosts liking: and endless marvellous bliss to all that be in heaven. Now standeth not the Son before the Father on the left side as a labourer; but he sitteth on the Fathers right hand in endless rest and peace. But it isnot meant that the Son sitteth on the right hand beside, as one man sitteth by another in this life: for there is no such sitting as to my sight in the Trinity; but he sitteth on his Fathers right hand; that is to say, right in the highest nobility of the Fathers joy. Now is the spouse, Gods Son, in peace with his loved wife: which is the fair maiden, of endless joy. Now sitteth the Son very God and very Man in his city in rest and in peace, which his Father hath dight to him of endless purpose: and the Father in the Son; and the Holy Ghost in the Father and in the Son. ~ 137
THE FOURTEENTH REVELATION,
Lhe Fifty-second Chapter
is in Jesu. And all of the charity of God, with obedience, meekness, and patience, and vertues that longs to us. Also in this marvellous example, I have teaching within me, as it were the beginning of an A. B. C. whereby I may have some understanding of our Lords meaning: for the privities of the revelation be hid therein; notwithstanding that all the shewings be full of privities. The sitting of the Father betokens the God-head ; that is to say, for showing of rest and peace: for in the God-head may be no travel. And that he shows himself as lord, betokens to our manhood: the standing of the servant betokens travel: and on the left side betokens, that he was not all worthy to stand even right before the lord. His starting was the God-head, and the running was the Man-head ; for the God-head start fro the Father into the maidens womb, falling into the taking of our kind. And in this falling he took great sore: the sore that he took was our flesh, in which as soon as he took it, he had feeling of deadly pains. By that he stood dreadfull before the lord, and not even right, betokens that his cloathing was not honest to stand even right before the lord ; nor that might not, nor should not be his office, whiles he was a labourer; nor also he might not sit with the lord in rest and peace, till he had won his peace rightfully with his hard travel. And by the left side, that the Father left his own 135
THE FOURTEENTH REVELATION.
Son wilfully in the manhood, to suffer all mans pain without sparing of him. By that his kirtle was at the point to be ragged and rent; 1s understood the roddes and scourges, the thornes and the nails; the drawing and the dragging, his tender flesh renting, as I saw in some part, the tender flesh was rent from the head-pann, falling on pieces, unto the time the bleeding failed: and then it began to dry again, cleaving to the bone. And by the wallowing, and writhing, groaning, and mourning, is understood that he might never rise all mightily fro that time that he was fallen into the maidens womb, till his body was slain and dead, he yielding the soul into the Fathers hand, with all mankind for whom he was sent. And at this point he began first to show his might; for then he went into hell. And when he was there, then he raised up the great root out of the deep deepness, which rightfully was kmt to him in high heaven, The body lay in the grave till Easter morrow ; and fro that time he lay never more, for there was nghtfully ended the wallowing, and the writhing, the groaning, and the mourning. And our foul deadly flesh that Gods Son took upon him which was Adams old kirtle, strait, bare, and short, then by our Saviour was made fair, new, white, and bright, and of endless cleanness; wide, and side, fairer and richer than was the cloathing which I saw on the Father, for that cloathing was blew. And 136
THE FIFTY-FIRST CHAPTER
Christs cloathing is now of fair seemly medelour, which is so marvellous that I can it no descrie, for it is all of very worship. Now sits not the lord on earth in wilderness, but he sits on his rich and noble seat which he made in heaven most to his liking. Now stands not the Son before the Father, as a servant before the lord, dreadfully cloathed, in party naked: but he stands before the Father even right richly cloathed, in blissful largeness ; with a crown upon his head of precious richness: for it was showed that we be his crown: which crown is the Fathers joy, the Sons worship, the Holy Ghosts liking: and endless marvellous bliss to all that be in heaven. Now stands not the Son before the Father on the left side as a labourer; but he sits on the Fathers right hand in endless rest and peace. But it isnot meant that the Son sits on the right hand beside, as one man sits by another in this life: for there is no such sitting as to my sight in the Trinity; but he sits on his Fathers right hand; that is to say, right in the highest nobility of the Fathers joy. Now is the spouse, Gods Son, in peace with his loved wife: which is the fair maiden, of endless joy. Now sits the Son very God and very Man in his city in rest and in peace, which his Father has dight to him of endless purpose: and the Father in the Son; and the Holy Ghost in the Father and in the Son. ~ 137
THE FOURTEENTH REVELATION,
Lhe Fifty-second Chapter
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