continuallie The Third Chapter ANd when I was thirtie yeares Old and a halfe God sent me a Bodilie sicknes in which I lay three Daies and three Nights and on the fourth Night I tooke all my | i. e. Sacraments Rights of Holie Church and †i. e. thought went not to have Liven till Daie And after this I laie two Daies and two Nights and on the third Night I weened oftentimes to have passed and so weened they that were with me and yet in this I felt a great loathness to die but for nothing that was in Earth that me liketh to live for ne for no paine that I was afraid of for I trusted in God of his Mercy but it was for I would have lived to have loved God better and a longer time that I might by the Grace of that living have the more knowing and loving of God in the blesse of Heaven For methought all that time that I had lived here so litle and so short in regarde of that endles blisse I thought good Lord may my living be no longer to thy Worshippe And I understood in my reason and by the feeling of my paines that I should die and I assented fullie with all the will of myne heart to be at Gods will Thus I endured till daie and by then was my bodie dead from the middes downwarde as to my feeling Then was I holpen to be sett upright undersett with help for to have the more freedome of my heart to be at Gods will and thinking on God while my life lasted My Curate was sent for to be at my ending and before he came I had sett up my eien and might not speak He sett the Crosse before my face and said I have brought the Image of our Saviour looke thereupon and comfort thee therewith Me thought I was well for my eien were sett upright into Heaven where I trusted to come by the Mercy of God But neverthelesse I assented to sett my eien in the face of the Crucifix if I might and so I did for me thought I might longer dure to looke even forth than right up After this my sight began to faile it waxed as darke about me in the Chamber as if it had bene Night save in the Image of the Crosse wherein held a common Light and I wist not how all that was besides the Crosse was uglie and fearefull to me as it had bene much occupied with fiendes After this the | i e. upper over-parte of my bodie began to die so farre forth that * i. Scarce unneath I had any feeling my most paine was shortnes of Breath and failing of Life Then went I verilie to have passed and in this case sodenlie all my paine was taken from me and I was as * i. e. thought whole and namely in the over-part of my bodie as ever I was before I marvailed of this sodaine change For me thought that it was a privie working of God and not of * i. e. nature kind And yet by feeling of this ease I trusted never the more to have lived ne the feeling of this ease was no full ease unto me for me thought I had rather have bene delivered of this World for my heart was wilfullie sett thereto Then came sodeinlie to my minde that I should desire the seconde Wound of our Lords Gift and of his Grace that my bodie might be fulfilled with mind and feeling of his blessed Passion as I had before praied For I would that his paines were my paines with compassion and afterwards longing to God Thus thought me that I might with his Grace have the Wounds that I had before desired But in this I desired never no bodilie sight ne no manner shewing of God but Compassion as me thought that a | i. e. loving kind Soule might have with our Lord Jesu that for Love would become a * i. e. mortal deadlie man with him I desired to suffer living in my | i. e. mor deadlie bodie as God would give me Grace The First Revelation the iiij Chapter ANd in this sodeinlie I saw the Red blood running down from under the Garland hott and freshly plenteouslie and livelie right as it was in the time that the Garland of Thornes was pressed on his blessed Head right so both God and Man the same that suffered for me I conceaved trulie and mightilie that it was himself that shewed it me without any meane And in the same shewing sodeinlie the Trinitie fulfilled my heart most of joy And so I understood it shall be in Heaven without end to all that shall come there For the Trinitie is God God is the Trinitie the Trinitie is our Maker the Trinitie is our Keeper the Trinitie is our everlasting Lover the Trinitie is our endles Joy and our Blisse by our Lord Jesu Christ and in our Lord Jesu Christ and this was shewed in the first sight and in all For when Jesu appeareth the blessed Trinity is understood as unto my sight And I said Benedicite dominus This I said for Reverence in my meaning with a mightie Voice and full greatelie was I astonished for wonder and marveile that I had that he that is so reverent and so dreadful will be so * i. e. familiar homelie with a sinfull Creature living in this wretched Flesh Thus I tooke it for that time that our Lord Jesu of his courteous Love would shew me comfort before the time of my temptation For me thought it might well be that I should by the sufferance of God and with his keeping be tempted of fiends before I should die With this sight of his blessed Passion with the Godhead that I sawe in my understanding I knew well that it was strength enough to me yea and to all Creatures living that should be saved against all the fiendes of Hell and against all Ghostlie Enemies In this he brought our Lady Saint Mary to my understanding I sawe her Ghostelie in bodilie likenes a simple Maiden and a meeke young of age a litle * i. Grown waxen above a Child in the stature as she was when she conceived Also God shewed me in part the Wisdome and the truth of her Soule Wherein I understood the Reverence beholding that she beheld her God that is her Maker marvailing with great Reverence that he would be born of her that was a simple Creature of his making For this was her marvailing that he that was her Maker would be born of her that was made And this wisdome and truth knowing the greatnes of her Maker and the litlehead of her selfe that is made made her to saie full meekelie to Gabriel Lo me here Gods Hand-Maiden In this sight I did understand verilie that she is more than all that God made beneath her in worthines and * i. e. excellency fullhead for above her is nothing that is made but the blessed Manhood of Christ as to my sight The v. Chapter
please him and solace him to whom he giveth it And if the Receiver take the Gift gladly and thankfully than the courteous Giver setteth at naught all his Cost and all his Travel for joy and delight he hath for he hath pleased and solaced him that he loved Plentuously and fully was this shewed Think as Wisely of the greatness of this Word Ever For in that was shewed an high knowing of Love that he hath in our Salvation with manifold joys that followen of the Passion of Christ One is that he joyeth that he hath done it in deed and he shall no more suffer That other is that he hath therewith bought us from endless Pains of Hell An other is that he brought us up into Heaven and made us for to be his Crown and his endless Bliss The Tenth Revelation The xxjv Chapter WIth a good chear our good Lord looked into his side and beheld with joy and with his sweet looking he led forth the understanding of his Creature by the same Wound into his side within And there he shewed a fair and delectable place and large enough for all Mankind that shall be saved and rest in Peace and in Love And therewith he brought to mind his dear Worthy Blood and his precious Water which he let pour out for Love And with the sweet beholding he shewed his blessed Heart cloven in two and with his enjoying he shewed to my understanding in part the blessedful Godhead as far forth as he would at that time strengthen the poor Soul for to understand as it may be said that is to mean the endless Love that was without beginning and is and shall be ever And with this our good Lord said well blessedfully Low how I love thee as if he had said My Darling behold and see thy Lord thy God that is thy Maker and thy endless joy See thine own Brother thy Saviour my Child behold and see what liking and bliss I have in thy Salvation And for my love | i e. rejoyce enjoy with me And also to more understanding this blessed Word was said Loe how I love thee as if he had said Behold and see that I loved thee so much or that I died for thee that I would die for thee And now I have died for thee and suffered willingfully that I may And now is all my bitter Pain and all my hard Travel turned to everlasting joy and bliss to me and to thee How should it now be that thou shouldest any thing pray me that liked me but if I should full gladly grant it thee for my liking is thy Holiness and the endless joy and bliss with me This is the understanding simply as I can say of this blessed Word Loe how I loved thee This shewed our good Lord to make us glad and merry The Eleventh Revelation And the xxv Chapter ANd with this chear of mirth and joy our good Lord looked down on the right side and brought to my mind where our Lady stood in the time of his passion and said Wilt thou see her And in this sweet Word as if he had said I wot well that thou wilt see my blessed Mother for after my self she is the highest Joy that I might shew thee and most liking and worship to me and most she is desired to be seen of all my blessed Creatures And for the marvellous high and singular Love that he hath to this sweet Maiden His blessed Mother our Lady Saint Mary he sheweth her bliss and joy as by the meaning of this sweet Word as if he said Wilt thou see how that I love her that thou might joy with me in the Love that I have in her and she in me And also to more understanding this sweet Word our good Lord speaketh in Love to all Mankind that shall be saved as it were all to one Person as if he said Wilt thou see in her how thou art loved for thy Love I have made her so High so Noble so Worthy And this liketh me And so will I that it do thee For after himself she is the most blessedful sight But hereof am I not learned to long to see her bodily Presence while I am here but the vertues of her blessedful Soul her Truth her Wisdom her Charity whereby I am learned to know my self and reverently dread my God And when our good Lord had shewed this and said this Word Wilt thou see her I answered and said Yea good Lord grant Mercy Yea good Lord if it be thy Will Oftentimes I Prayed this and I * i e. thought went to have seen her in bodily liking but I saw her not so And Jesu in that Word shewed me a Ghostly sight of her right as I had seen her before litle and simple right so he shewed her then High and Noble and Glorious and pleasing to him above all Creatures And so he will that it be known that all those that like in him should also like in her And to more understanding he shewed this example as if a man love a Creature singularly above all Creatures he will make all other Creatures to love and to like that Creature that he loveth so much And in this Word that Jesu said Wilt thou see her methought it it was the most liking Word that he might give me of her with the Ghostly shewing that he gave me of her For our Lord shewed me nothing in special but our Lady Saint Mary and her shewed three times The first was as she conceived The second as she was in her Sorrow under the Cross And the third was as she is now in Liking Worship and Joy The Twelfth Revelation The xxvj Chapter ANd after this our Lord shewed him more glorified as to my sight than I saw him before wherein I was learned that our Soul shall never have rest till it come into him knowing that he is full of joy homely and courteous and blessedful and very Life Oftentimes our Lord Jesu said I it am I it am I it am That is highest I it am that thou lovest I it am that thou likest I it am that thou servest I it am that thou longest I it am that thou desirest I it am that thou meanest I it am that is all I it am that Holy Church Preacheth thee and Teacheth thee I it am that shewed me before to thee The Number of thy Words passeth my Wits and understanding and all my Mights for they were in the highest as to my sight For therein is comprehended I cannot tell what but the joy that I saw in the shewing of them passeth all that Heart can think or Soul may desire And therefore these Words be not declared here but every man after the Grace that God giveth him in understanding and longing receive them in our Lords meaning The Thirteenth Revelation The xxvij Chapter ANd after this our Lord brought to my mind the longing that I had to him before and I saw nothing
thou seekest it How should it then be that thou shouldest not have thy seeking And thus in the first Reason with the three that follow our good Lord sheweth a mighty Comfort as it may be seen in the same Words and in the first Reason there he saith And thou beseek it There he sheweth full great pleasance and endless meed that he will give us for our beseeking And in the sixth Reason there he saith How should it then be This was said for an unpossible thing for it is the most unpossible that may that we should seek Mercy and Grace and not have it For of all thing that our good Lord maketh us to beseek himself he hath ordained it to us from without beginning Here may we then see that our beseeking is not the cause of the Goodness and Grace that he doth to us but his proper Goodness And that shewed he verily in all these sweet Words there he saith I am Ground And our good Lord will that this be known of his Lovers in Earth and the more that we know the more shall we beseech if it be wisely take and so is our Lords meaning Beseeching is a true and gracious lasting will of the Soul owned and fastened into the Will of our Lord by the sweet privy Working of the Holy Ghost Our Lord himself he is the first Receiver of our Prayer as to my sight and he taketh it full thankfully and highly enjoying he sendeth it up above and setteth it in Treasure where it shall never perish It is there before God with all his Holy Saints continually received ever speeding our needs And when we shall undertake our bliss it shall be given us for a degree of Joy with endless Worshipful thanking of him full glad and merry is our Lord of our Prayer and he looketh thereafter and he will have it for with his Grace it maketh us like to himself in condition as we be in kind and so is his blessed Will For he saith thus Pray intirely inwardly though thee think it savour thee not yet it is profitable enough though thou feel it nought Pray intirely inwardly though thou feel nought though thou see nought yea though thou think thou might not for in Dryness and Barrenness in Sickness and in Feebleness then is thy Prayer full pleasant to mee though thou think at savor thee not but litle and so is all thy Living Prayer in my sight For the meed and the endless thank that he will give us therefore he is covetuous to have us Praying continually in his sight God accepteth the good Will and the Travel of his Servants howsoever we feel Wherefore it pleaseth him that we work in Prayer and in good Living by his Help and his Grace reasonably with Discretion keeping our Mights to him till when we have him that we seek in fulhead of joy that is Jesu And that shewed he in the xvth Revelation where he saith Thou shalt have me to thy meed Also to Prayer longeth thanking Thanking is a true inward knowing with great Reverence and lovely Dreed turning our self with all our Mights into the Working that our Lord stirred us to enjoying and thanking inwardly and sometime for plentuousness it breaketh out with Voyce and saith Good Lord grant Mercy Blessed mote thou be And sometime when the Earth is dry and feeleth naught or else by Temptation of our Enemy then it is driven by Reason and by Grace to cry upon our Lord with Voyce rehearsing his blessed Passion and his great Goodness And so the vertue of our Lords Word turneth into the Soul and quickeneth the heart and entreth by his Grace into true Working and maketh it to Pray full blessed fully and truly to enjoy in our Lord is a full lovely thanking in his sight The xlij Chapter OUr Lord will that we have true understanding and namely in three things that longeth to our Prayer The first is by whom and how that our Prayer Springeth by whom he sheweth when he saith I am Ground and how by his Goodness For he saith First it is my Will For the second in what manner and how that we should use our Prayers and that is that our Will be turned into the Will of our Lord enjoying And so he meaneth when he saith I make thee to will it For the third that we know the Fruit and end of our Prayer that is to be oned and like to our Lord in all thing and to this meaning and for this end was all this lovely Lesson shewed And he will help us and he shall make it so as he seeth himself blessed mote he be For this is our Lords Will that our Prayer and our trust be both alike large for if we trust not as * much mickle as we Pray we do not full Worship to our Lord in our Prayer And also we tarry and Pain our self and the cause is as I believe for we know not truly that our Lord is Ground in whom that our Prayer springeth And also that we know not that it is given us by Grace of his Love for if we knew this it would make us to trust to have of our Lords gift all that we desire for I am sure that no man asketh Mercy and Grace with true meaning but if Mercy and Grace be first given to him But sometime it cometh to our mind that we have prayed long time and yet it thinketh us that we have not our asking but herefore should we not be heavy for I am sure by our Lords meaning that either we abide a better time or more Grace or a better Gift He will that we have true knowing in himself that he is being And in this knowing he will that our understanding be grounded with all our Mights and all our Intents and all our Meanings And in this Ground he will that we take our * i e. resting place steeds and our dwelling And by the gracious Light of himself he will that we have understanding of three things that follow The first is our Noble and Excellent making The second our precious and dear worthy * i e redemption again being The third all thing that he hath made beneath us to serve us and for our Love keepeth it Then meaneth he thus as if he said Behold and see that I have done all this before thy Prayer and now thou art and prayest me And thus he meaneth that it longeth to us to wit that the greatest Deeds be done as Holy Church teacheth And in the beholding of this with thanking we owe to Pray for the Deed that is now in doing and that is that he rule us and guide us to his Worship in this Life and bring us to his Bliss and therefore he hath done all Then meaneth he thus that we see that he doth it and we pray therefore for that one is not enough for if we pray and see not that he doth it it maketh us heavy and doubtful and that
them to which Grace alone all Good in us is to be ascribed XVI REVELATIONS OF LOVE Here beginneth the First Chapter THis is a Revelation of Love that Jesu Christ our endless Blisse made in xvi Shewings of which The first is of his precious Crowning of Thornes and therein was conteined and specified the Blessed Trinity with the Incarnation and the uniting between God and mans Soul with manie faire Shewings and Teachings of endless Wisdom and Love in which all the Shewings that follow be grounded and joyned The second is of the discolouring of his faire Face in tokening of his dear worthie Passion The third is that our Lord God Almighty all Wisdom and all Love right also verilie as he hath made all thinges that are right also verilie he doth and worketh all things that are done The fourth is scourging of his tender Bodie with plenteous Shedding of his precious Blood The fifth is that the fiend is overcome by the precious Passion of Christ The sixth is the Worshipfull Thanking of our Lord God in which he rewardeth all his blessed Servants in Heaven The seventh is oftentimes feeling of weale and woe feeling of weale is gracious touching and lightning with true * i e. security sikernes of endeles joy The feeling of Woe is of Temptation by Heavines and Wearines of our fleshlie living with Ghostelie understanding that we be kept also verelie in love in woe as in weal by the goodnes of God The eighth is the last paines of Christ and his cruell dying The ninth is of the * i. e. pleasure liking which is in the Blessed Trinity of the hard Passion of Christ after his rufull and sorrowful dying in which joy and liking he will that we be in solace and Mirth with him till that we come to the Glorie in Heaven The tenth is our Lord Jesu Christ by Love his blessed Heart even cloven in two The eleventh is an high Ghostlie shewing of his deare worthie Mother The twelfth is that our Lord God is all Soveraign being The thirteenth is that our Lord God will that we have great regard to all the Deedes which he hath done in the great Nobletie of all things making and of the Excellency of Mans making the which is above all his Works and of the precious amends that he hath made for Mans sin turning all our blame into endeles Worship Than meaneth he thus Beholde and see for by the same Might Wisdome and Goodness that I have done all this by the same Might Wisdome and Goodness I shall make well all that is not well and thou shalt see it And in this he will that we keep us in the Faith and Truth of Holie Church not willing to * i e. know wit his privities not but as it longeth to us in this Life The fourteenth is that our Lord God is the Ground of our | i. e. desire beseekinge Herein was seen two fair properties that one is rightful praier that other is verie trust which he will both be one like large and thus our Praier liketh him and he of his Goodness fulfilleth it The fifteenth is that we should soudeinlie be taken from all our Paine and from all our Woe and of his Goodnes we shall come up above where we shall have our Lord Jesu to our * i. e. reward meed and for to be fulfilled with joy and blisse in Heaven The sixteenth is that the blessed Trinitie our Maker in Christ Jesu our Saviour endleslie dwelleth in our Soule worshipfullie rewarding and commanding all things us mightilie and wiselie saving and keeping for Love and we shall not be over-come of our Enemy The Second Chapter THis Revelation was made to a simple Creature unlettered living in deadlie Flesh the Year of our Lord a Thousand three Hundreth lxxiij the xiiij th daie of Maie Which Creature desired before three Gifts by the Grace of God The first was * i. e. feeling mind of the Passion The second was bodilie Sickness The third was to have of Gods gift three Woundes For the first me thought I had some deale feeling in the Passion of Christ but yet I desired to have more by the Grace of God Me thought I would have been that time with Magdalen and with other that were Christs Lovers that I might have seen bodilie the Passion that our Lord suffered for me that I might have suffered with him as others did that loved him and therefore I desired a bodilie sight wherein I might have more knowledge of the bodilie paines of our Saviour and of the Compassion of Our Lady and of all his true Lovers that were living that time and saw his Paines For I would have bene one of them and have suffered with them Other sight nor shewing of God desired I never none till when the Soule were departed from the body for I believed to be saved by the Mercy of God This was my meaning for I would after because of that shewing have the more true mind in the Passion of Christ For the second came to my mind with Contrition freelie without anie seeking a | i. e. earnest wilfull desire to have of Gods Gift a bodilie sicknes I would that that sicknes were so hard as to the death that I might in that sicknes have undertaken all the Rights of Holie Church my self weening that I should have died and that all Creatures might suppose the same that saw me For I would have no manner of Comfort of fleshly ne earthly Life in that sicknes I desired to have all manner of Paines Bodilie and Ghostlie that I should have if I should have died All the Dreads and Temptations of fiends and all manner of other Paines saving the out-passing of the Soule And this meant I for I would be purged by the Mercy of God and after live more to the Worship of God because of that sicknes For I hoped that it might have bene to my reward when I should have died for I desired to have bene soone with my God and Maker These two desires of the Passion and of the sicknes that I desired of him was with a Condition For me thought this was not the common use of Praier Therefore I said Lord thou knowest what I would and if that it be thy will that I might have it and if it be not thy will Good Lord be not displeased for I will not but as thou wilt This siicknes I desired in my Youth that I might have it when I were thirtie Years Old For the third by the Grace of God and teaching of Holie Church I conceived a mightie desire to receive three Wounds in my Life that is to say the Wound of verie Contrition the Wound of kind Compassion and the Wound of willful Longing to God Right as I asked the other twaine with a Condition so asked I this third mightilie without any Condition These twaine desires before said passed from my mind and the third dwelled
that should burn us all to death I asked them that were with me if they felt any stench they said nay they felt none I said Blessed be God for then wist I well it was the fiend that was come only to tempt me And anon I took me to that our Lord had shewed me on the same day with all the Faith of Holy Church for I beheld it as both in one and fled thereto as to my Comfort And anon all vanished away and I was brought to great rest and peace without Sickness of body or dread of Conscience The Lxviij Chapter ANd then our good Lord opened my Ghostly eye and shewed me my Soul in the midst of my heart I saw the Soul so large as it were and endless World and also as it were a blessed Kingdom And by the conditions that I saw therein I understood that it is a worshipful City In mids of that City our Lord Jesu very God and very Man a fair Person and of large stature Highest Bishop most Solemne King Worshipful Lord. And I saw him clothed solemnly in Worship he sitteth in the Soul even right in Peace and rest And he ruleth and giveth Heaven and Earth and all that is The Man-hood with the God-head sitteth in rest The God-head ruleth and giveth without any instrument or business And the Soul is all occupied with the blessed God-head that is sovereign Might sovereign Wisdom and severeign Goodness The place that Jesu taketh in our Soul he shall never remove without end as to my sight for in us is his homliest home and his endless dwelling And in this he sheweth the Liking that he hath of the making of mans Soul for as well as the Father might make a Creature and as well as the Son might make a Creature So well would the Holy Ghost that mans Soul were made and so it was done And therefore the blessedful Trinity enjoyeth without end in the making of mans Soul For he saw without beginning what should like him without end All thing that he hath made sheweth his Lordship as understanding was given in the same time by example of a Creature that is led to see great Nobleness and Kingdoms longing to a Lord. And when it had seen all the Nobleness beneath then marvelling it was stirred to seek up above to that high place where the Lord dwelleth knowing by reason that his dwelling is in the worthiest place And thus I understand truly that our Soul may never have rest in things that is beneath it self And when it cometh above all Creatures into it self yet may it not abide in the beholding of it self but all the beholding is blessedfully set in God that is the Maker dwelling therein for in mans Soul is his very dwelling And the highest Light and the brightest Shining of the City is the glorious Love of our Lord God as to my sight And what may make us more enjoy in God than to see in him that he enjoyeth in us highest of all his Works For I saw in the same shewing that if the blessed Trinity might have made mans Soul any better any fairer any nobler than it was made he should not have been full pleased with making of mans Soul But for he made mans Soul as fair as good as precious as he might make it a Creature therefore the blessed Trinity is full pleased without end in the making of mans Soul And he will that our hearts be mightily raised above the deepness of the earth and all vain sorrowes and enjoy in him This was a delectable sight and a restful shewing that is without end And the beholding of this whiles we are here it is full pleasant to God and full great speed to us And the Soul that thus beholdeth it maketh him like to him that is beholden and oned it in rest and in peace by his grace And this was a singular joy and bliss to me that I saw him sitting for the truth of sitting shewed endless dwelling And he gave me knowing truly that it was he that shewed me all before and when I had beholden all this with advisement then shewed our good Lords words full meekly without voice and without opening of lips right as he had done afore and said full sweetly Wit it now well it was no raving that thou sawest to day but take it and believe it and keep thee therein and comfort thee therewith and trust thereto and thou shalt not be overcome These last words were said for learning of full true | i e. assurance sikerness that is our Lord Jesu that shewed me all And right as in the first word that our good Lord shewed meaning his blessed Passion herewith is the fiend overcome right so he said in the last word 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 it is aforesaid and so is Gods will And this word Thou shalt not be overcome was said full sharply and full mightily for sickness 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 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 Lxjx. Chapter THe fiende came again with his heat and with his 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 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 And I understood not what they said And all this was to stir me to dispair as methought seeming to me as they scorned | i e. praying bidding of Beads which are said * i e. hastily boystously with much failing of devout intending and wise diligence the which we owe to God in our prayer And 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 The Lxx. Chapter 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
most God and soonest speedeth For our Soule is so preciouslie loved of him that is highest that it over-passeth the knowing of all Creatures That is to saie There is no Creature that is made that may wit how much and how sweetly and how tenderlie that our Maker loveth us And therefore we may with his Grace and his helpe stand in Ghostlie beholding with everlasting marvailing in this high over-passing unmeasurable Love that our Lord hath to us of his Goodnes And therefore we may aske of our Lover with Reverence all that we will for our * i. e. naturall kindlie Will is to have God and the Good-will of God is to have us And we may never cease of willing ne of loving till we have him in fulhead of joy And then we may no more will for he will that we be occupied in knowing and loving till the time cometh that we shall be fulfilled in Heaven And therefore was this Lesson of Love shewed with all that followeth as you shall see for the strength and the ground of all was shewed in the first sight for of all things the beholding and the loving of the Maker maketh the Soul to seem least in his own sight and most filleth it with reverent dread and true meekness and with plenty of Charity to his even Christian The vij Chapter ANd to learn us this as to my understanding our good Lord shewed our Lady Mary in the same time that is to mean the high Wisdom and Truth that she had in beholding her Maker This Wisdom and Truth made her to behold her God so Great so High so Mighty and so Good This greatness and this | i. e. nobleness Noblety of her beholding of God fulfilled her of reverend deed And with this she saw her self so litle and so low so simple and so poor in regard of her God that this reverend Dread fulfilled her of meekness And thus by this ground she was fulfilled of Grace and of all manner of Vertues and passeth all Creatures And in all the time that he shewed this that I have now said in Ghostly sight I saw the bodily sight lasting of the plentuous bleeding of the head the great drops of Blood fell down from under the Garland like Pellots seeming as it had come out of the Veins And in the coming out they were brown red for the blood was full thick and in the spreading abroad they were bright red and when it came at the | i. e. forehead Brows there they vanished And notwithstanding the bleeding continued till many things were seen and understanded nevertheless the fair head and the lively head continued in the same beauty and liveliness The plentuous head is like to the drops of Water that fall off the evesing of an House after a great shower of Rain that fall so thick that no man may number them with any bodily Wit And for the roundness they were like to the Seal of her Ring in the spreading of the forehead These three things came to my mind in the time Pellets for the roundhead in the comming out of the blood the Scale of Herring for the round-head in the spreading the dropps of the evesing of an House for the plentuous head unnumerable This shewing was quick and lively and hideous and dreadful and sweet and lovely And of all the sight that I saw this was most comfort to me that our good Lord that is so reverent and dreadful is so homely and so courteous And this most fulfilled me with liking and sickness * i. e. in of Soul And to the understanding of this he shewed this open example It is the most worship that a solemn King or a great Lord may do to a poor Servant if he will be homely with him and namely if he shew it himself of a full true meaning and with a glad chere both in private and openly Then thinketh this poor Creature thus Lo what might this Noble Lord do more Worship and Joy to me than to shew to me that am so little This marvelous himeliness verily it is more joy and liking to me than if he gave me great gifts and were himself strange in manner This bodily example was shewed so high that this mans heart might be ravished and almost forget himself for Joy of this great homeliness Thus it faireth by our Lord Jesu and by us for verily it is the most joy that may be as to my sight that he that is highest and mightest nobliest and worthiest is lowest and meekest homliest and courtesiest And truly and verily this marvellous joy shall he shew us all when we shall see him And this will our good Lord that we believe and trust joy and like comfort us and make solace as we may with his Grace and with his Help into the time that we see it verily for the most fulhed of joy that we shall have as to my sight is this marvellous courtesie and homeliness of our Father that is our Maker in our Lord Jesu Christ that is our Brother and our Saviour But this marvelous Homlliness may no man know in this Life but if he have it by special shewing of our Lord or of great plenty of Grace inwardly given of the Holy Ghost but Faith and Belief with Charity deserve the meed and so it is had by Grace For in Faith with Hope and Charity our Life is grounded the shewing is made to whom that God will plainly teach the same opened and declared with many privy Points belonging to our Faith and Belief which be worshipful to be known And when the shewing which is given for a time is passed and hid then Faith keepeth it by Grace of the Holy Ghost unto our Lives end And thus by the shewing it is none other than Faith no less no more as it may be seen by our Lords meaning in the same matter by than it come to the last end The viij Chapter ANd as long as I saw this sight of the plentuousness of bleeding of the Head I might never stint of these Words Benedicite Dominis In which shewing I understood six things The first is the Tokens of the blessedful Passion and the plentuous shedding of his precious Blood The second is the Maiden that is his dear worthy Mother The third is the blessedful God-head that ever was and shall be all Mighty all Wisdom and all Love The fourth is all thing that he hath made for well I wote that Heaven and Earth and all that is made is great large fair and good but the cause why it sheweth so litle to my sight was for I saw it in the presence of him that is the Maker for a Soul that seeth the Maker of all thing all that is made seemeth full litle The fifth is that he that made all thing that is made for Love and by the same Love it is kept and shall be without end as it is before said The sixth is that God is all
and another Ghostly This Word was shewed for the bodily Thirst And for the Ghostly Thirst was shewed as I shall say after And I understood by the bodily Thirst that the Body had feeling of moisture for the blessed Flesh and Bones was left all alone without blood and moisture The blessed Body dried all alone long time with wringing of the Nails and weight of the Body for I understood that for tenderness of the sweet Hands and the sweet Feet by the great hardness and grievousness of the Nails the Wounds waxed wide and the Body setled for weight by long time hanging and pearcing and raising of the Head and binding of the Crown all baken with dry blood with the sweet Hair clinging the dry flesh to the Thorns and the Thorns to the flesh drying And in the beginning while the flesh was fresh and bleeding the continual setting of the Thorns made the Wounds wide And furthermore I saw that the sweet skin and the tender flesh with the hair and with the blood was all raced and loosed about with the Thorns and broken in many pieces and were hanging as they would hastily have fallen down while it had kind moisture how it was down I saw not but I understood that it was with the sharp Thorns and the boystrous grievous sitting on of the Garland not sparing and without pity that altho brake the sweet skin with the flesh and the Hair loosed it from the bone where through it was broken in pieces as a Cloath and sagging downward as it would hastily have fallen for heaviness and for loosness And that was great sorrow and dread to me for methought that I would not for my life have seen it fall This continued a while and after it began to change and I beheld and marvelled how it might be and then I saw it was for it began to dry and stint a part of the weight that was round about the Garland And so it was invironed all about as it were Garland upon Garland the Garland of Thornes was dyed with the Garland of Blood and that other Garland and the Head all was one Colour as clottered blood when it was dried The skin and the flesh that seemed of the Face and of the Body was small rimpild with a tawny Colour like a dry board when it is aged and the face more brown than the body I saw four manner of drying The first was bloodless The second Pain following after The third is that he was hanging up in the Aire as men hang a Cloath for to dry The fourth that the bodily kind asked Liquor and there was no manner of Comfort ministred to him Ah hard and grievous was that Pain but much more hard and grievous it was when the moisture failed and all began to dry thus clinging These were two Pains that shewed in the blessed Head The first wrought to the drying while it was moist and that other slow with clinging and drying with blowing of Wind from without that dryed him more and pained with Cold than my heart can think and all other Pains for which Pains I saw that all is too litle that I can say for it may not be told The shewing of Christs Pains filled me full of Pains for I wist well that he suffered but once but as he would shew it me and fill me with mind as I had before desired And in all this time of Christs presence I felt no Pain but for Christs Pains Then thought me I knew full litle what Pain it was that I asked and as a Wretch I repented me thinking if I had wist what it had been loath had me been to have prayed it for methought my Pains passed any bodily Death I thought Is any Pain in Hell like this and I was answered in my Reason Hell is an other Pain for their is Despair but of all Pains that lead to Salvation this is the most to see the Lover to suffer How might any Pain be more than to see him that is all my Life all my Bliss and all my Joy suffer Here left I stedfastly that I loved Christ so much above my self that there was no Pain that might be suffered like to that sorrow that I had to see him in Pain The xviij Chapter HEre I saw in part the Compassion of our Blessed Lady Saint Mary for Christ And she was so * i. e. united onyd in Love that the greatness of her Love was cause of the greatness of her Pain for in this I saw a substance of kind Love continued by Grace that his Creatures have to him which kind Love was most * i e. plenteous fulsomelie shewed in his sweet Mother and overpassing For so much as she loved him more than all other her Pain passed all other for ever the higher the mightier the sweeter that the Love is the more sorrow it is to the Lover to see that Body in pain that he loved And so all his Disciples and all his true Lovers suffered more Pain than their own bodily dying For I am sure by my own feeling that the least of them loved him so far above himself that it passeth all that I can say Here saw I a great * i e. union oning between Christ and Vs to my understanding for when he was in Pain we were in Pain and all Creatures that might suffer Pain suffered with him that is to say all Creatures that God hath made to our Service The Firmament and Earth failed for sorrow in their kind in the time of Christs dying for it longeth | i e. natural kindly to their property to know him for their Lord in whom all their vertue standeth And when he feeled then behoved needs to them for kindness to feel with him in as much as they might for sorrow of his Pains And thus they that were his Friends suffered Pain for Love And generally all that is to say they that knew him not suffered for feeling of all manner of Comfort save the Mighty privy keeping of God I mean of two manner of People that know him not as it may be understood by two Persons That one was Pilate that other Person was St. Dionise of France which was that time a Paynius for when he saw Wonders and Marveils Sorrows and Dreads that befell at that time he said Either the World is now at an End or else he that is Maker of * i e. nature kinds suffereth Wherefore he did Write on an Altar This is an Altar of the unknown God God of his goodness that maketh Planners and the Elements to work in their kind to the blessed man and to the Cursed In that time it was withdrawn from both Wherefore it was that they that knew him not were in sorrow that time Thus was our Lord Jesu Pained for us and we stand all in this manner of Pain with him and shall do till that we come to his bliss as I shall say hereafter The xix
seeking into God for help again that for the beholding of 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 we may behold them with Contrition with him with Compassion on him and with Holy desire to God for him 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 Contrarious 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 wotest well thou art a Wretch a Sinner and also untrue 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 Lxxvj. 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 our Soul that he brenneth continually in envy And all this sorrow that he would make us to have it shall turn into himself And for this it was that our Lord scorned him and shewed that he shall be 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 more needier that we be the more speedful it is to us to touch him and say we thus in our meaning I know well that I have deserved pain but our Lord is Almighty and may punish me mightily and he is all Wisdom and can punish me wisely and he is all Goodness and loveth me tenderly And in this beholding it is speedful to us to abide for it is a full Lovely meekness of a sinful Soul wrought by Mercy and Grace of the Holy Ghost When we will wilfully and gladly take the scourging and the chastising that our Lord himself will give us and it shall be full tender and full easie if we will only hold us pleased with him and with all his Works For that Penance that man taketh upon himself it was not shewed me That is to say it was not shewed me specified but this was shewed specially and highly and with full lovely chear that we should meekly and patiently bear and suffer that Penance that God himself giveth us with mind of his blessed Passion for when we have mind of his blessed Passion with Pitty and Love Then we suffer with him like as his Friends did that saw it And this was shewed in the xiijth neer at the beginning where it speaketh of Pity for he saith Accuse not thy self that thy Tribulation and thy Woe is all thy default For I will not that thou be heavy ne sorrowful undiscreetly for I tell thee howsoever thou do thou shalt have Woe And therefore I will that thou wisely know thy Penance which thou art in continually and that thou meekly take it for thy Penance And then shalt thou truly see that all this living is Penance profitable This Place is Prison This Life is Penance and in the remedy he will that we enjoy The Remedy is that our Lord is with us keeping us and leading into fulhead of joy for this is an endless joy to us in our Lords meaning that he that shall be our bliss when we are there he is our Keeper while we are here our Way and our Heaven in true Love and faithful trust And of this he gave understanding in all and namely in shewing of his Passion where he made me mightily to choose him for my Heaven Flee we to our Lord and we shall be comforted touch we him and we shall be made clean cleave we to him and we shall be sure and safe from all manner of perils for our courteous Lord will that we be as homely with him as heart may think or Soul may desire But be we ware that we take not so retchesly this homely-head for to leave courtesie for our Lord himself is sovereign homely-head and so homely as he is as courteous he is for he is very courteous And the blessed Creatures that shall be in Heaven with him without end he will have them like to himself in all thing and to be like to our Lord perfectly it is our very Salvation and our full bliss And if we wote not how we shall do all this desire we of our Lord and he shall Learn us for it is his own liking and his Worship Blessed mote he be The Lxxvij Chapter OUr Lord of his mercy sheweth us our sin and our feebleness by the sweet gracious sight of himself For our sin is so foul and so horrible that he of his curtesie will not shew it us but by the Light of his Mercy Of four things it is his Will that we have knowing The first is that he is the ground of whom we have all our Life and our Being The second is that he keepeth us mightily and mercifully in the time that we are in our sin among all our Enemies that are full fell upon us And somuch we are in the more peril for we give them occasion thereto and we know not our own need The third is how curteously he keepeth us and maketh us to know that we go amiss The fourth is how
stedfastly he abideth us and changeth no chear for he will that we be turned and unied to him in Love as he is to us And thus by gracious knowing we may see our sin profitable without despair For soothly us needeth to see it and by the sight we should be made ashamed of our self breaking down as against our Pride and our Presumption For us behooveth verily to see that of our self we are right naught but Sin and Wretchedness And thus by the sight of the Less part of sin that our Lord sheweth us the more is wasted which we see not For he of his courtesie measureth the sight to us For it is so foul and so horrible that we should not endure to see it as it is And thus by this meek knowing through Contrition and Grace we shall be broken from all thing that is not our Lord. And then shall our blessed Saviour perfectly cure us and one us to him This breaking and this curing our Lord meaneth by the general man for he that is highest and nearest with God he may see himself sinful and needy with me And I that am the least and the lowest of those that shall be saved I may be comforted with him that is highest So hath our Lord oned us in Charity when he shewed me that I should sin And for joy that I had in beholding him I entended not readily to that shewing And our courteous Lord rested there and would no further teach me till when that he gave me Grace and Will to entend And hereof was I Learned though that we be highly lifted into Contemplation by the special gift of our Lord yet us behooveth needs therewith to have sight and knowing of our sin and of our feebleness For without this knowing we may not have true meekness and without this we may not be safe And also I saw we may not have this knowing of our self nor of none of all our Ghostly Enemies for they will not us so much good For if it were by their Will we should never see it till our ending day Then are we much bound to God that he will himself for Love shew it us in time of mercy and grace The Lxxviij Chapter ALso I had in this more understanding in that he shewed me that I should sin I took it nakedly to my own singular Person for I was no otherwise stirred in that time But by the high gracious comfort that followed after I saw that his meaning was for the general man that is to say all man which is sinful and shall be into the Last day Of which man I am a Member as I hope by the mercy of God for the blessed comfort that I saw it is large enough for us all And there was I Learned that I should see mine own sin and not other mens but if it may be for comfort or help of my even Christen And also in the same shewing there I saw that I should sin There was I Learned to be dreadful for * i e. frailty unsikerness of my self For I wot not how I shall fall ne I know not the measure ne the greatness of my sin For that would * i e. I desired with fear to have known I a wist dreadful and thereto I had none answer Also our courteous Lord in that same time he shewed full sweetly and full mightily the endless-head and the unchange-ability of his Love and also his great goodness and his gracious inwardly keeping that the Love of him and of our Souls shall never be departed into without end And thus in the dread I have matter of meekness that saveth me fro Presumption And in the blessed shewing of Love I have matter of true Comfort and of Joy that saveth me from dispair All this homely shewing of our courteous Lord it is a Lovely Lesson and a sweet gracious Teaching of himself in comforting of our Soul For he will that we know by the sweetness of the homely Love of him that all that we see or feel within or without which is contrarious to this that it is of the Enemy and not of God as thus If that we be stirred to be the more retchlesser of our Living or of the keeping of our heart because that we have knowing of this plentuous Love than needeth us greatly to beware of this stirring if it come It is untrue and greatly we owe to hate it for it hath no likeness of Gods Will and when befallen by frailty or blindness Then our courteous Lord touching us stirreth us and keepeth And then will he that we see our wretchedness and meekly be it a known But he will not that we abide therewith ne he will not that we busie us greatly about our accusing ne he will not that we be too wretchedful on our self but he will that we hastily entend to him For he standeth all alone and abideth us continually moaning and mourning till when we come And he hath haste to have us to him For we are his joy and his delight and he is our Salve of our Life there I say he standeth all alone I leave the speaking of the blessed company in Heaven and speak only of his Office and his Working here in Earth upon the * i e manner condition of the Shewing The Lxxjx. Chapter BY three things man standeth in this Life By which three God is Worshipped â—nd we be speed kept and saved The first is use of mans kindly Reason The second is the common Teaching of Holy Church The third is the inward gracious Working of the Holy Ghost And these three be all of one God God is ground of our kindly Reason and God is teaching of Holy Church and God is the Holy Ghost And all be sundry gifts to which he will we have great regard and according us thereto For these work in us continually altogether and those be great things Of which greatness he will we have knowing here as it were in an A. B. C. that is to say that we may have a little knowing whereof we should have fulhead in Heaven and that is for to speed us We know in our Faith that God alone took our kind and none but hee And furthermore that Christ alone did all the great Works that longeth to our Salvation and none but he And right so he alone doth now in the last end that is to say he dwelleth here in us and ruleth us and giveth us in this Living and bringeth us to his bliss And thus shall he do as long as any Soul is in Earth that shall come to Heaven And so far forth that if there were none such Soul in Earth but one he should be with that all alone till he had brought it up to his bliss I believe and understand the ministration of Holy Angels as Clarkes tell but it was not shewed me For himself is nearest and meekest highest and lowest and doth all And not only all that us
needeth but also he doth all that is Worshipful to our joy in Heaven And there I say he abideth us moaning and mourning It meaneth all the true feeling that we have in our self in Contrition and in Compassion and all moaning and mourning for we are not oned with our Lord and such as is speedful it is Christ in us And though some of us feel it seldom it passeth never fro Christ till what time he have brought us out of all our Woe For Love suffereth him never to be without pity And what time that we fall into sin and leave the mind of him and the keeping of our own Soul then beareth Christ alone all the charge of us And thus standeth he moaning and mourning Then Longeth it to us for reverence and kindness to turn us hastily to our Lord and let him not all alone he is here alone with us all that is to say only for us he is here And what time I be strange to him by sin despair or slouth then I let my Lord stand alone in as much as he is in me And thus it fareth with us all which be sinners But though it be so that we do thus oftentimes his goodness suffereth us never to be alone but lastingly he is with us and tenderly he excuseth us and ever keepeth us from blame in his sight The Lxxx. Chapter OUr good Lord shewed him to his Creature in diverse manner both in Heaven and in Earth But I saw him take no place but in mans Soul He shewed him in Earth in the sweet Incarnation and his blessed Passion and in other manner he shewed him in Earth where I said I saw God in a point And in other manner he shewed him in Earth thus as it were a Pilgrimage that is to say he is here with us leading us and shall be till when he hath brought us all to his bliss in Heaven He shewed him diverse times raigning as it is aforesaid but principally in mans Soul He hath taken there his resting place and his Worshipful City out of which Worshipful * i e. scat See he shall never rise ne remove without end Marvellous and solemn is the place where the Lord dwelleth And therefore he will that we readily entend to his gracious touching more enjoying in his whole Love then sorrowing in our often fallings For it is the most worship to him of any thing that we may do that we live gladly and merrily for his Love in our Penance for he beholdeth us so tenderly that he seeth all our Living here to be Penance For kind Longing in us to him is a Lasting Penance in us which Penance he worketh in us and mercifully helpeth us to bear it for his Love maketh him to Long his Wisdom and his Truth with his rightful-head maketh him to suffer us here And in this manner he will see it in us for this is our kindly Penance and the highest to my sight For this Penance cometh never fro us till what time that we be fulfilled when we should have him to our meed And therefore he will that we set our hearts in the over-passing that is to say fro the pain that we feel into the bliss that we trust The Lxxxj. Chapter BUt here shewed our courteous Lord the moaning and the mourning of our Soul meaning thus I wot well thou wilt live for my Love merrily and gladly suffering all the Penance that may come to thee But forasmuch as thou livest not without sin therefore thou art heavy and sorrowful And if thou mightest live without sin thou wouldest suffer for my Love all the Woe that might come to thee and it is sooth But be not too much agrieved with sin that falleth to thee against thy will that is not maliciously And here I understood that the Lord beheld the Servant with Pity and not with blaim for this passing Life asketh not to Live all without sin He Loveth us endlesly and we sin customably and he sheweth it us full mildely and then we sorrow and mourn discreetly turning us into the beholding of his mercy cleaving to his Love and to his Goodness seeing that he is our Medicine witting that we do nothing but sin And thus by the meekness that we get in the sight of our sin faithfully knowing his everlasting Love him thanking and praising we please him I love thee and thou lovest me and our love shall never be departed on two and for thy profit I suffer And all this was shewed in Ghostly understanding saying this blessed word I keep thee full * i e. surely sikerly And by the great desire that I saw in our blessed Lord that we should Live in this manner that is to say in Longing and enjoying as all this Lesson of Love sheweth Thereby I understand that all that is contrarious to this it is not of him but it is of Enmity And he will that we know it by the sweet gracious Light of his kind Love If any such Liver be in Earth which is continually kept from falling I know it not for it was not shewed me But this was shewed that in falling and in rising we are ever preciously kept in one Love by which we were ehosen before others from all eternity For in the beholding of God we fall not And in the beholding of our self we stand not And both these be * i e. true sooth as to my sight But the beholding of our Lord God is the higher †i e truth soothness Then are we much bound to him that he will in this Living shew us this high soothness And I understood whiles we be in this Life it is full speedful to us that we see these both at once For the higher beholding keepeth us in Ghostly joy and true enjoying in God That other that is the lower beholding keepeth us in dread and maketh us ashamed of our self But our good Lord will ever that we hold us much more in the beholding of the higher and not leave the knowing of the Lower into the time that we be brought up above where we shall have our Lord Jesu to our meed and be fulfilled of joy and bliss without end The Lxxxij Chapter I Had in party touching sight and feeling in three properties of God in which the strength and the effect of all the Revelation standeth And it were seen in every shewing And most properly in the Twelfth where it saith oftentimes I it am The properties are these life love and light In life is marvellous homeli-head In love is gentle courtesie And in light is endless kindness These three properties were seen in one goodness into which goodness my reason would be oned and cleaving to with all the mights I beheld with reverent dread and highly marvelling in the sight and in feeling of the sweet accord that our reason is in God understanding that it is the highest gift that we have received and it is grounded in kind Our Faith is
a Light kindly coming of our endless day that is our Father God In which Light our Mother Christ and our good Lord the Holy Ghost leadeth us in this passing Life This Light is measured discreetly needfully standeth to us in the Night the Light is cause of our Life the Night is cause of our Pain and all our Woe In which Woe we desire endless meed and thank of God for we with mercy and grace wilfully know and believe our Light going therein wisely and mightily And at the end of Woe suddenly our eye shall be opened and in clearness of sight our Light shall be full Which Light is God our Maker Father and Holy Ghost in Christ Jesu our Saviour Thus I saw and understood that our Faith is our Light in our night which Light is God our endless day The Lxxxiij Chapter THis light is Charity and the measuring of this Light is done to us profitably by the Wisdom of God For neither the Light is so large that we may see clearly our blessedful day ne it is all * i e. shut up speered from us but it is such a Light in which we may live | i e. meritoriously meedfully with travel reserving the worshipful thanks of God And this was seen in the vjth Shewing where he saith I thank thee of thy service and of thy travel Thus Charity keepeth us in Faith and in Hope And Faith and Hope leadeth us in Charity and at the end all shall be Charity I had three manner of understandings in this Light of Charity The first is Charity unmade The second is Charity made The third is Charity given Charity unmade is God Charity made is our Soul in God Charity given is vertue and that is a gracious gift of working In which we Love God for himself and our self in God and all that God Loveth for God The Lxxxjv. Chapter ANd in this sight I marvelled highly for notwithstanding our simple Living and our blindness here yet endlesly our courteous Lord beholdeth us in this Working enjoying And of all thing we may please him best wisely and truly to believe it and to enjoy with him and in him for as verily as we shall be in bliss of God without end him praising and thanking as verily we have been in the foresight of God Loved and known in his endless purpose fro without beginning In which unbegun Love he made us in the same Love he keepeth us and never suffereth us to be hurt by which our bliss might be lessed And therefore when the doome is given we be all brought up above then shall we clearly see in God the privities which now be hid to us And then shall none of us be stirred to say in any thing Lord if it had been thus it had been well But we shall all say with one voyce Lord blessed mote thou be for it is thus Thus it is well And now we see verily that all thing is done as it was thine Ordinance * i e before or any thing was made The Lxxxv. Chapter THis Book is begun by Gods gift and his grace but it is not yet performed as to my sight For Charity pray we all together with Gods working thanking trusting enjoying For this will our good Lord be praid by the understanding that I took in all his own meaning And in the sweet words where he saith full merrily I am ground of thy beseeching For truly I saw and understood in our Lords meaning that he shewed it for he will have it knowing more then it is In which knowing he will give us grace to Love him and cleave to him For he beholds his heavenly Treasure and Solace in heavenly Joy in drawing of our hearts from sorrow and darkness which we are in And fro the time that it was shewed I de-desired oftentimes to wit in what was our Lords meaning And fifteen Year after and more I was answered in Ghostly understanding saying thus What wouldest thou wit thy Lords meaning in this thing Wit it well Love was his meaning Who sheweth it thee Love Wherefore sheweth he it thee For Love Hold thee therein thou shalt wit more in the same But thou shalt never wit therein other without end Thus was I Learned that love is our Lords meaning And I saw full surely in this and in all that our God made us he Loved us which Love was never slacked ne never shall And in this Love he hath done all his Works And in this Love he hath made all thing profitable to us And in this Love our Life is everlasting in our making we had beginning But the Love wherein he made us was in him fro without beginning In which Love we have our beginning And all this shall we see in God without end Deo Gratias Explicit liber Revelationum Juliane Anachorite Norwic. cujus anime propicietur Deus FINIS