Revelations of Divine Love — Julian of Norwich
the sight and the working. For it leadeth us in right way, and keepeth us in true life, and oneth us to God. And as good as God is, as great he is. and as much as it longeth to his God-head to be loved, so much it longeth to his great highness to be dread. For this reverent dread is the fairer courtesie that is in heaven before Gods face. And as much as he shall be known and loved, over-passing that he is now: in so much he shall be dread over-passing that he is now. Wherefore it behooveth needs to be, that all heaven, all earth shall tremble and quake when the pillars shall tremble and quake.
The Seventy-fifth Chapter
I speak but little of this reverent dread: for I hope it may be seen in this matter aforesaid. But well I wote that our Lord shewed me no souls but those that dread him; for well I wote the soul that truly taketh the teaching of the Holy Ghost, it hateth more sin for the vileness and the horribility, than it doth all the pain that 1s 1n hell. For the soul that beholdeth the kindness of our Lord Jesu, it hateth no hell; but hell is sin as to my sight. And therefore ht is Gods will that we know sin, and pray busily, and travel wilfully, and seek teaching meekly, that we fall not blindly therein ; and if we fall, that 200
THE SEVENTY-FIFTH CHAPTER,
| we rise readily : for it is the most pain that the soul : may have to turn from God any time by sin. The
: | soul that will be in rest, when other mens sins come , | to mind, he should flee it as the pain of hell, seeking into God for help against that ; for the beholding of t| other mens sin, it maketh as it were a thick mist : | afore the eye of the soul. And we may not for the time see the fair-head of God, but if [unless] we may behold them with contrition with them, with compassion on them, and with holy desire to God for them.
t | For without this it noieth, and troubleth, and letteth
| the soul that behold them ; for this I understand in | the shewing of the compassion. In this blessedful shewing of our Lord I have understanding of two contraries. That one is the most wisdom that any creature may do in this life. That other is the most folly. The most wisdom is a creature to do after | the will and the counsel of his highest sovereign friend. This blessed friend is Jesu, and it is his will and counsel that we hold us with him, and fasten us homely to him, evermore in what state soever we bene: for whether we be foul or clean, we are ever | one in his loving. For weal, ne for woe he will
| | never we flee him ; but for the change-ability that we are in our self, we fall often into sin. Than have we this by the stirring of our enemy, and by our own folly and blindness: for they say thus, “Thou wotes! v ei! thou art a wretch, à sinner, and alvo un- Zul
THE SIXTEENTH REVELATION.
true, for thou keepest not thy covenant. Thou promisest oftentimes our Lord that thou shalt do better; and anon thou fallest again in the same, namely in slouth, and leesing of time." For that is the beginning of sin as to my sight; and namely, to the creatures that have given themself to serve our Lord with inward beholding of his blessedful goodness. And this maketh us adread to appear afore our courteous Lord. Than is it our enemy that will put us a back with his false dread of our wretchedness, for pain that he threateth us by, for it is his meaning to make us so heavy and so sorry in this, that we should let out of mind the blessedful beholding of our everlasting friend.
The Seventy-siath Chapter
Our good Lord shewed the enmity of the fiend, whereby I understood that all that is contrarious to love and to peace, it is of the fiend, and of his party ; and we have of our feebleness and our folly to fall: and we have of mercy and of grace of the Holy Ghost to rise to more joy. And if our enemy ought winneth of us by our falling (for it is his likeness) he leeseth many times more in our rising by charity and meekness. And this glorious rising it is so great sorrow and pain to him, for the hate that he hath to 202
THE SEVENTY-SIXTH CHAPTER.
1 our soul, that he brenneth continually in envy. And 1 all this sorrow that he would make us to have, it hall turn into himself. And for this it was that | our Lord scorned him, and shewed that he shall be 3
| d scorned; and this made me mightily to laugh. | | Then is this the remedy that we be a known of our
. | wretchedness, and flie to our Lord: for ever the
the sight and the working. For it leads us in right way, and keeps us in true life, and ons us to God. And as good as God is, as great he is. and as much as it longs to his God-head to be loved, so much it longs to his great highness to be dread. For this reverent dread is the fairer courtesie that is in heaven before Gods face. And as much as he shall be known and loved, over-passing that he is now: in so much he shall be dread over-passing that he is now. Wherefore it behoovs needs to be, that all heaven, all earth shall tremble and quake when the pillars shall tremble and quake.
The Seventy-fifth Chapter
I speak but little of this reverent dread: for I hope it may be seen in this matter aforesaid. But well I wote that our Lord showed me no souls but those that dread him; for well I wote the soul that truly takes the teaching of the Holy Ghost, it hates more sin for the vileness and the horribility, than it does all the pain that 1s 1n hell. For the soul that beholds the kindness of our Lord Jesu, it hates no hell; but hell is sin as to my sight. And therefore ht is Gods will that we know sin, and pray busily, and travel wilfully, and seek teaching meekly, that we fall not blindly therein ; and if we fall, that 200
THE SEVENTY-FIFTH CHAPTER,
| we rise readily : for it is the most pain that the soul : may have to turn from God any time by sin. The
: | soul that will be in rest, when other mens sins come , | to mind, he should flee it as the pain of hell, seeking into God for help against that ; for the beholding of t| other mens sin, it makes as it were a thick mist : | afore the eye of the soul. And we may not for the time see the fair-head of God, but if [unless] we may behold them with contrition with them, with compassion on them, and with holy desire to God for them.
t | For without this it noies, and troubles, and lets
| the soul that behold them ; for this I understand in | the showing of the compassion. In this blessedful showing of our Lord I have understanding of two contraries. That one is the most wisdom that any creature may do in this life. That other is the most folly. The most wisdom is a creature to do after | the will and the counsel of his highest sovereign friend. This blessed friend is Jesu, and it is his will and counsel that we hold us with him, and fasten us homely to him, evermore in what state soever we bene: for whether we be foul or clean, we are ever | one in his loving. For weal, ne for woe he will
| | never we flee him ; but for the change-ability that we are in our self, we fall often into sin. Than have we this by the stirring of our enemy, and by our own folly and blindness: for they say thus, “You wotes! v ei! you are a wretch, à sinner, and alvo un- Zul
THE SIXTEENTH REVELATION.
true, for you keepest not your covenant. You promisest oftentimes our Lord that you shall do better; and anon you fallest again in the same, namely in slouth, and leesing of time." For that is the beginning of sin as to my sight; and namely, to the creatures that have given themself to serve our Lord with inward beholding of his blessedful goodness. And this makes us adread to appear afore our courteous Lord. Than is it our enemy that will put us a back with his false dread of our wretchedness, for pain that he threats us by, for it is his meaning to make us so heavy and so sorry in this, that we should let out of mind the blessedful beholding of our everlasting friend.
The Seventy-siath Chapter
Our good Lord showed the enmity of the fiend, whereby I understood that all that is contrarious to love and to peace, it is of the fiend, and of his party ; and we have of our feebleness and our folly to fall: and we have of mercy and of grace of the Holy Ghost to rise to more joy. And if our enemy ought wins of us by our falling (for it is his likeness) he leeses many times more in our rising by charity and meekness. And this glorious rising it is so great sorrow and pain to him, for the hate that he has to 202
THE SEVENTY-SIXTH CHAPTER.
1 our soul, that he brenns continually in envy. And 1 all this sorrow that he would make us to have, it hall turn into himself. And for this it was that | our Lord scorned him, and showed that he shall be 3
| d scorned; and this made me mightily to laugh. | | Then is this the remedy that we be a known of our
. | wretchedness, and flie to our Lord: for ever the
No commentary for this page under the selected tracks.
There is commentary on page 1.