Revelations of Divine Love — Julian of Norwich

i| the fend overcome ;’ right so he said in the last word, s | with full true faithfulness meaning us all: ‘Thou « | shalt not be overcome,’ And all this learning and this true comfort is general to all mine even Christen, as t | it is aforesaid; and so is Gods will. And this word, [| * Thou. shalt not be overcome, was said full sharply and full mightily for sickerness and comfort against | all tribulations that may come: he said not, thou £ | shalt not be troubled, thou shalt not be travelled, | thou shalt not be diseased; but he said, * Thou . | shalt not be overcome.’ God will that we take heed at this word, and that we be ever mighty in faithful : trusting in weal and woe; for he loveth us, and | liketh us: and so will he that we love him and 5 | like him, and mightily trust in him, and all shall | be well: and soon all was close, and I saw no more : after this.

The Staty-ninth Chapter

s | Tae fiende came again with his heat, and with his T" stench, and made me full busie. The stench was so |! | vile and so painful, and bodily heat also dreadful | and travellous. Also I heard a bodily talking, as it z | had been of two bodies: and both to my thinking | | talked at one time, as they had held a parliament, | with great business. And all was soft whistering. y } And I understood nct what they said. And ail this : | 185 ee

THE SIXTEENTH REVELATION.

was to stir me to dispair, as methought, seeming to me as they scorned bidding of beads, which are said boystously, with much failing of devout intending, and wise diligence, the which we owe to God in our prayer.

The Seventieth Chapter

Anp our good Lord God gave me grace mightily to trust in him, and to comfort my soul with bodily speech, as I should have done to another person that had been travelled. Methought that business might not be likened to no bodily likeness. My bodily eye I set in the same cross, there I had seen in comfort afore that time; my tongue with speech of Christs passion, and rehersing the faith of Holy Church, and my heart to fasten on God with all the trust and the might that I thought to my self, meaning, ‘Thou hast now great business to keep thee in the faith, for that thou shouldest not be taken of thine enemies. Wouldest thou now fro this time evermore be so busie to keep thee from sin, this were a good and a sovereign occupation.’ For I thought faithfully, were I safe from sin, I were full safe from al] the fiends in hell, and enemies of my soul. And thus he occupied me all that night, and on the morrow, till it was about prime day. And anon they were all gone and passed, and 186

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THE SEVENTIETH CHAPTER

there left nothing but stink, and lasted still a while: and I scorned him. And thus was I delivered of him by the vertue of Christs passion; for therewith is the fiend overcome, as our Lord Jesu Christ said afore. In all this blessed shewing our good Lord gave understanding that the sight should pass. Which blessed shewing the faith keepeth with his own good will and his grace; for he left with me neither signe, ne token, whereby I might know it. But he left with me his own blessed word in true understanding, bidding me full mightily that I should believe it, and so I do; blessed mote he be. I believe that he is our Saviour that shewed it, and that it is in the faith that he shewed. And therefore I love it ever joying, and thereto I am bound by all his own meaning, with the next words that follow: * Keep thee therein, and comfort thee therenith,

) and trust thereto.” Thus I am beholding to keep it in : my faith : for on the same day that it was shewed, | what time the sight was passed, as a wretch I for- à sook it, and openly I said that I had raved. Then : our Lord Jesu of his mercy would not let it perish, | but he shewed it all again within my soul with more fulhead, with the blessed light of his precious love,

| saying these words full mightily and full meekly; | “Wit it now well, it was no raving that thou saw this | day; as if he had said, for the sight was passed from

| thee, tinu lost ct, and could or might nut key it: But

p. 187

THOC SIXTEENTH REVELATION,

wit it now ;' that is to say, ‘now thou seest it? This was said not only for the same time; but also to set thereupon the ground of my faith, where he saith anon following; * But take it, and learn it, and keep thee therein, and comfort thee therewith, and trust thereto, and thou shalt not be overcome.’