Revelations of Divine Love — Julian of Norwich
men and women that for Gods love hate sin, and dispose them to do Gods will). Then by our ghostly blind-head and bodily heaviness, we are most enclining to these, and therefore it is Gods will that they be known, and then should we refuse them, as we do other sins. And for help against this, full meekly our Lord shewed the patience that he had in this hard passion : and also the joy and the liking that he hath of that passion for love. And this he shewed in example, that we should gladly and easily bear our pains; for that is great pleasing to him, and endless profit to us. And the cause why we are travelled with them is for unknowing of love. Though the Three Persons of the blessed Trinity ! be all even in the self, the soul took most understanding in love; yea, and he will in all thing that we have our beholding and our enjoying in love. And of this knowing are we most blind. For some of us believe that God is all mighty, and may do all; and that he is all wisdom, and can do all: but that he is all love and will do all, there we fail. And this unknowing it is that most letteth Gods lovers, as to my sight: for when we begin to hate sin, and amend us by the ordinance of Holy Church, yet there dwelleth a dread that letteth us, by the beholding of our self and of our sin afore done; and some of us for our every-day sins, for we hold not 1 Father — might. Ron — wisdom, Spiri! - love. 14
THE SEVENTY-THIRD CHAPTER,
our promise, nor keep our cleanness that our Lord setteth us in, but fall oft-times into so much wretchedness, that shame it is to say it. And the beholding of this maketh us so sorry, and so heavy, that unneths we can see any comfort. And this dread we take sometime for a meekness, but it is a foul blindness, and a wickedness [weakness]. And we cannot despise it as we do another sin that we know ; which cometh through lack of true judgment, and it is against truth : for of all the properties of the blissedful Trinity it is Gods will that we have most faithfulness and liking in love; for love maketh might and wisdom full meek to us. For right as by the courtesie of God he forgetteth our sin after the time that we repent us: so will he that we forget our sin as against our unskillful heaviness, and our doubtful dreads.
The Seventy-third Chapter
Fon I understood four manner of dreads: one is dread of a fray that cometh to man suddenly by frailty. This dread doth good, for it helpeth to purge man, as doth bodily sickness, or such other pain that is not sin; for all such pains help man, if they be patiently taken. The second is dread of pain; whereby man is stirred and waked fro sleep of sia for man that is hard of sleep of sin, he is 195
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THE SIXTEENTH REVELATION,
not able for the time to receive the soft comfort of the Holy Ghost, till he hath undertaken this dread of pain, of bodily death and of ghostly enemies. And this dread stirreth us to seek comfort and mercy of God. And thus this dread helpeth us as an entry, and ableth us to have contrition by the blissedful touching of the Holy Ghost. The third is doubtful dread. Doubtful dread in as much as it draweth to despair, God will have it turned in us into love, by true knowing of love; that is to say, that the bitterness of doubts be turned into sweetness of kind love by grace; for it may never please our Lord that his servants doubt in his goodness. The fourth is reverent dread; for there is no dread that fully pleaseth God in us, but reverent dread, and that is soft. For the more it is had, the less it is felt for sweetness of love. Love and dread are brethren, and they are rooted in us by the goodness of our Maker, and they shall never be taken from us without end. We have of kind to love, and we have of grace to love; and have we of kind to dread, and we have of grace to dread. It longeth to the lordship, and to the father-head to be dreaded, as it longeth to the goodness to be loved: and it longeth to us that are his servants and his children to dread him for lordship, and fatherhead; as it longeth to us to love him for God-head. And though this reverent dread and love be not both in one, but 196
THE SEVENTY-THIRD (CHAPTER,
men and women that for Gods love hate sin, and dispose them to do Gods will). Then by our ghostly blind-head and bodily heaviness, we are most enclining to these, and therefore it is Gods will that they be known, and then should we refuse them, as we do other sins. And for help against this, full meekly our Lord showed the patience that he had in this hard passion : and also the joy and the liking that he has of that passion for love. And this he showed in example, that we should gladly and easily bear our pains; for that is great pleasing to him, and endless profit to us. And the cause why we are travelled with them is for unknowing of love. Though the Three Persons of the blessed Trinity ! be all even in the self, the soul took most understanding in love; yea, and he will in all thing that we have our beholding and our enjoying in love. And of this knowing are we most blind. For some of us believe that God is all mighty, and may do all; and that he is all wisdom, and can do all: but that he is all love and will do all, there we fail. And this unknowing it is that most lets Gods lovers, as to my sight: for when we begin to hate sin, and amend us by the ordinance of Holy Church, yet there dwells a dread that lets us, by the beholding of our self and of our sin afore done; and some of us for our every-day sins, for we hold not 1 Father — might. Ron — wisdom, Spiri! - love. 14
THE SEVENTY-THIRD CHAPTER,
our promise, nor keep our cleanness that our Lord sets us in, but fall oft-times into so much wretchedness, that shame it is to say it. And the beholding of this makes us so sorry, and so heavy, that unneths we can see any comfort. And this dread we take sometime for a meekness, but it is a foul blindness, and a wickedness [weakness]. And we cannot despise it as we do another sin that we know ; which comes through lack of true judgment, and it is against truth : for of all the properties of the blissedful Trinity it is Gods will that we have most faithfulness and liking in love; for love makes might and wisdom full meek to us. For right as by the courtesie of God he forgets our sin after the time that we repent us: so will he that we forget our sin as against our unskillful heaviness, and our doubtful dreads.
The Seventy-third Chapter
Fon I understood four manner of dreads: one is dread of a fray that comes to man suddenly by frailty. This dread does good, for it helps to purge man, as does bodily sickness, or such other pain that is not sin; for all such pains help man, if they be patiently taken. The second is dread of pain; whereby man is stirred and waked fro sleep of sia for man that is hard of sleep of sin, he is 195
/ Í y NE T TT O E
THE SIXTEENTH REVELATION,
not able for the time to receive the soft comfort of the Holy Ghost, till he has undertaken this dread of pain, of bodily death and of ghostly enemies. And this dread stirs us to seek comfort and mercy of God. And thus this dread helps us as an entry, and abls us to have contrition by the blissedful touching of the Holy Ghost. The third is doubtful dread. Doubtful dread in as much as it draws to despair, God will have it turned in us into love, by true knowing of love; that is to say, that the bitterness of doubts be turned into sweetness of kind love by grace; for it may never please our Lord that his servants doubt in his goodness. The fourth is reverent dread; for there is no dread that fully pleases God in us, but reverent dread, and that is soft. For the more it is had, the less it is felt for sweetness of love. Love and dread are brethren, and they are rooted in us by the goodness of our Maker, and they shall never be taken from us without end. We have of kind to love, and we have of grace to love; and have we of kind to dread, and we have of grace to dread. It longs to the lordship, and to the father-head to be dreaded, as it longs to the goodness to be loved: and it longs to us that are his servants and his children to dread him for lordship, and fatherhead; as it longs to us to love him for God-head. And though this reverent dread and love be not both in one, but 196
THE SEVENTY-THIRD (CHAPTER,
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