Revelations of Divine Love — Julian of Norwich
are two in property and in working, and [yet] neither of them may be had without other. And therefore I am sure, he that loveth he dreadeth, though he feel it but little. All dreads other than reverend dread that are proferred to us, though they come under colour of holiness, they are not so true. And hereby may they be known asunder. That dread that maketh us hastily to flee fro all that is not good, and fall into our Lords breast, as the child into the mothers arme, with all our intent, and with al] our mind, knowing our feebleness and our great need, knowing his everlasting goodness and his blessed love, only seeking into him for salvation, cleaving to with faithful trust: that dread that bringeth us into this working, it is kind and gracious, and good, and true. And all that is contrarious to this, either it is wrong, or it is medled with wrong. Then is this the remedy to know them both, and refuse the wrong: for the kind property of dread which we have in this life by the gracious working of the Holy Ghost, the same shall be in heaven afore God, gentle, courteous, full sweet. And thus we shall in love be homely and near to God. And we in dread be gentle and curteous to God, and both in one manner like even. Desire we then of our Lord God to dread him reverently, and love him meekly, and to trust in him mightily : for when we dread hia revereutly, and love him meekly, our 10;
THE SIXTEEN TH- REVELATION.
trust is never in vain; for the more that we trust, and the mightilier that we trust, the more we please and worship our Lord that we trust in. And if us fail this reverent dread and meek love, as God forbid we [it] should, our trust shall soon be mis-ruled for that time. And therefore us needeth much to pray our Lord of grace that we may have this reverent dread, and make love of his gift in heart and in work, for without this no man may please God.
The Seventy-fourth Chapter
I saw that God may do all that us deedeth [?needeth]: and these three that I shall say, need, love, longing. Pitty and love keepeth us in the time of our need. And longing in the same love draweth us into heaven ; for the thirst of God is to have the general man into him. In which thirst he hath drawn his holy souls that be now in bliss. And so getting his lively members, ever he draweth and drinketh, and yet him thirsteth and longeth. I saw three manner of longings in God, and all to one end. The first is, for that he longeth to learn us to know him and to love him ever more and more, as it is convenient and speedful to us. The second is, that he longeth to have us up into bliss, as souls are when they be taken out of pain into heaven. The /hird is, to fulfill 108
THE SEVENTY-FOURTH CHAPTER
us of bliss, and that shall be on the last day fulfilled ever to last. For I saw, as it is known in our faith, that then pain and sorrow shall be ended to all that shall be saved. And not only we shall receive the same bliss that souls afore have had in heaven, but also we shall receive a new, which plentuously shall flie out of God into us, and fulfill us. And those be the goods which he hath ordained to give us fro without beginning. These goods are treasured and hid in himself; for into that time [the] creature is not mighty, ne worthy to receive them. In this we should sce verily the cause of all the deeds that God hath done. And over-more we should see the cause of all thing that he hath suffered: and the bliss, and the fulfilling shall be so deep and so high, that for wonder and marvel all ereatures should have to God so great reverence and dread, over-passing that hath been seen and felt before that the pillars of heaven shall travel and quake. But this manner of trembling and dread shall have no manner of pain; but it longeth to the worthy majesty of God, thus to be beholden of his creatures, dreadfully trembling and quaking : for much more of joy, endlesly marvelling of the greatness of God the Maker, and of the least part of all that is made. For the beholding of this maketh creature marvellous meek and mild. Wherefore God will, and also it longeth to us both in kind and in grace, to will to have knowing of this desiring 199
THE SIXTEENTH REVELATION,
are two in property and in working, and [yet] neither of them may be had without other. And therefore I am sure, he that loves he dreads, though he feel it but little. All dreads other than reverend dread that are proferred to us, though they come under colour of holiness, they are not so true. And hereby may they be known asunder. That dread that makes us hastily to flee fro all that is not good, and fall into our Lords breast, as the child into the mothers arme, with all our intent, and with al] our mind, knowing our feebleness and our great need, knowing his everlasting goodness and his blessed love, only seeking into him for salvation, cleaving to with faithful trust: that dread that brings us into this working, it is kind and gracious, and good, and true. And all that is contrarious to this, either it is wrong, or it is medled with wrong. Then is this the remedy to know them both, and refuse the wrong: for the kind property of dread which we have in this life by the gracious working of the Holy Ghost, the same shall be in heaven afore God, gentle, courteous, full sweet. And thus we shall in love be homely and near to God. And we in dread be gentle and curteous to God, and both in one manner like even. Desire we then of our Lord God to dread him reverently, and love him meekly, and to trust in him mightily : for when we dread hia revereutly, and love him meekly, our 10;
THE SIXTEEN TH- REVELATION.
trust is never in vain; for the more that we trust, and the mightilier that we trust, the more we please and worship our Lord that we trust in. And if us fail this reverent dread and meek love, as God forbid we [it] should, our trust shall soon be mis-ruled for that time. And therefore us needs much to pray our Lord of grace that we may have this reverent dread, and make love of his gift in heart and in work, for without this no man may please God.
The Seventy-fourth Chapter
I saw that God may do all that us deeds [?needs]: and these three that I shall say, need, love, longing. Pitty and love keeps us in the time of our need. And longing in the same love draws us into heaven ; for the thirst of God is to have the general man into him. In which thirst he has drawn his holy souls that be now in bliss. And so getting his lively members, ever he draws and drinks, and yet him thirsts and longs. I saw three manner of longings in God, and all to one end. The first is, for that he longs to learn us to know him and to love him ever more and more, as it is convenient and speedful to us. The second is, that he longs to have us up into bliss, as souls are when they be taken out of pain into heaven. The /hird is, to fulfill 108
THE SEVENTY-FOURTH CHAPTER
us of bliss, and that shall be on the last day fulfilled ever to last. For I saw, as it is known in our faith, that then pain and sorrow shall be ended to all that shall be saved. And not only we shall receive the same bliss that souls afore have had in heaven, but also we shall receive a new, which plentuously shall flie out of God into us, and fulfill us. And those be the goods which he has ordained to give us fro without beginning. These goods are treasured and hid in himself; for into that time [the] creature is not mighty, ne worthy to receive them. In this we should sce verily the cause of all the deeds that God has done. And over-more we should see the cause of all thing that he has suffered: and the bliss, and the fulfilling shall be so deep and so high, that for wonder and marvel all ereatures should have to God so great reverence and dread, over-passing that has been seen and felt before that the pillars of heaven shall travel and quake. But this manner of trembling and dread shall have no manner of pain; but it longs to the worthy majesty of God, thus to be beholden of his creatures, dreadfully trembling and quaking : for much more of joy, endlesly marvelling of the greatness of God the Maker, and of the least part of all that is made. For the beholding of this makes creature marvellous meek and mild. Wherefore God will, and also it longs to us both in kind and in grace, to will to have knowing of this desiring 199
THE SIXTEENTH REVELATION,
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