Revelations of Divine Love — Julian of Norwich

| Therefore this is a sovereign comfort, and a bless-ful beholding in a longing soul, that we shall be taken from pain; for in this behest I saw a merciful compassion that our Lord hath in us for our woe, and a | courteous behighting of clear deliverance: for he | will that we be comforted in the over-passing joy. And that he shewed in these words ; * dad thou shalt 2 come up above ; and thou shalt have me to thy meed, and I|. thou shalt be fulfilled of joy and bliss.’ It is Gods will i | that we set the point of our thought in this blissful s | beholding as oft-time as we may, and as long time i| keep us therein with his grace; for this is a blissful ; i contemplation to the soul that is led of God, and g | full much to his worship for the time that it lasteth. 1 | And when we fall again to our self by heaviness and

| ghostly blindness, and feeling of pains ghostly and

«| bodily by our fragility, it is Gods will that we know, || that he hath not forget us. And so meaneth he in these words, and saith for comfort; ‘And thou shalt e| never more have pain in no manner; nor no manner of x | sickness, no manner of mis-liking, no want of will, but ever joy and bliss without end: what should it then agrieved thee to suffer a while, sithen it is my mill and my worship?’ Itis Gods will that we take his behests y | and his comfortings as largely and as mightily as we may take them. And also he will that we take our abidings and our dis-eases as lightly as we may take them, and set them at naught: for the light'ier that 175

" M 4 / TP a

THE FIFTEENTH REVELATION.

we take them, and the less price that we set at them for love, less pain shall we have in the feeling of them, and the more thank and meed shall we have for them.

Lhe Sixty-fifih Chapter

AND thus I understood that what man or woman wilfully ehoseth God in this life for love, he may be sure that he is loved without end, with endless love that worketh in him that grace; for he will we keep this trustily, that we be as sicker in hope of the bliss of heaven whiles we are here, as we shall be in surety when we are there. And ever the more liking and joy that we take in this sickerness, with reverence and meekness, the better liketh him. For as it was shewed, this reverence that I mean, is a holy, courteous dread of our Lord, to which meekness is knit; and that is, that a creature see the Lord marvellous great, and her self marvellous litle : for these vertues are had endlesly to the loved of God. And it may now be seen and felt in measure by the gracious presence of our Lord, when it is: which presence in all thing is most desired ; for it worketh that marvellous sickerness in true faith, and siker hope by greatness of charity in dread that is sweet and delectable. It is Sods will that I see my 176 eee E P——————— mE :

Pct EST

LM tx Las

43. SS:

THE SIXTY-FIFTH CHAPTER,

| self as much bound to him in love, as if he had done i for me all that he hath done. And thus should | every soul think in regard of his love; that is to | say, the charity of God maketh in us such a unity, | that when it is truly seen no man can part him- | self from other. And thus ought each soul to think | that God hath done for him all that he hath done. | And this sheweth he to make us to love him, and | liken him, and nothing dread but him; for it is his | will we know that all the might of our enemies is | | locked in our friends hands. And therefore the . | soul that knoweth this sickerly, he shall not dread | | but him that she loveth. All other dreads she set |; | them among passions, and bodily sickness, and imaginations. And therefore though we been in so much pain, woe and disease that us thinketh, we can think right naught but that we are in, or that we feel; assoon as we may we pass it lightly over, and set we it at naught. And why? for God will

|| be known; for if we know him, and love him, and : ! reverently dread him, we shall have patience, and be 4 l in great rest. And it should been great liking to us = all that he doth. And this shewed our Lord in these s d words: * JVhat should it then agrieve thee to suffer a à | while, seeing il is my mill and my worship?’ Now | have I told you of xv. Shewings, as God witsafe to s | minister them to my mind, renewed by lightnings and touching, I hope, of the same Spirit that ~T liT E!

THE FIFTEENTH REVELATION.

sheweth them all. Of which xv. shewings the frst began early in the morning, about the hour of four; and it lasted shewing by process full fair and soberly, each following other till it was noon of the day, or past. -

RBS opes

* E —— eit he d EAS

Che Sixteenth Rebelatton

The Sixty-sixth Chapter