measured when it is so much as it should be. These feelings in a man's soul may
be now ordained and measured, and now unordained and unmeasured; but when they
are ordained and measured, then are they accounted among the sons of Jacob.[31]
HOW THE VIRTUE OF DREAD RISETH IN THE AFFECTION
THE first child that Leah conceived of Jacob was Reuben, that is, dread; and
therefore it is written in the psalm: "The beginning of wisdom is the dread of
our Lord God."[32] This is the first felt
virtue in a man's affection, without the which none other may be had. And,
therefore, whoso desireth to have such a son, him behoveth busily and oft also
behold the evil that he hath done. And he shall, on the one party, think on the
greatness of his trespass, and, on another party, the power of the Doomsman.[33] Of such a consideration springeth dread,
that is to say Reuben, that through right is cleped "the son of sight."[34] For utterly is he blind that seeth not the
pains that are to come, and dreadeth not to sin. And well is Reuben
cleped the son of sight; for when he was born, his mother cried and said: "God
hath seen my meekness."[35] And man's soul, in
such a consideration of his old sins and of the power of the Doomsman,
beginneth then truly to see God by feeling of dread, and also to be seen of God
by rewarding of pity.
HOW SORROW RISETH IN THE AFFECTION
WHILE Reuben waxeth, Simeon is born; for after dread it needeth greatly that
sorrow come soon. For ever the more that a man dreadeth the pain that he hath
deserved, the bitterlier he sorroweth the sins that he hath done. Leah in the
birth of Simeon cried and said: "Our Lord hath heard me be had in despite."[36] And therefore is Simeon cleped "hearing";[37] for when a man bitterly sorroweth and
despiseth his old sins, then beginneth he to be heard of God, and also for to
hear the blessed sentence of God's own mouth: "Blessed be they that sorrow, for
they shall be comforted."[38] For in what hour
the sinner sorroweth and turneth from his sin, he shall be safe.[39] Thus witnesseth holy Scripture. And also by
Reuben he is meeked,[40] and by Simeon he is
contrite and hath compunction of tears; but, as witnesseth David in the psalm:
"Heart contrite and meeked God shall not despise";[41] and without doubt such sorrow bringeth in true comfort of
heart.
HOW HOPE RISETH IN THE AFFECTION
BUT, I pray thee, what comfort may be to them that truly dread and bitterly
sorrow for their old sins, ought but a true hope of forgiveness? the which is
the third son of Jacob, that is Levi, the which is cleped in the story "a doing
to."[42] For when the other two children,
dread and sorrow, are given of God to a man's soul, without doubt he this
third, that is hope, shall not be delayed, but he shall be lone to;[43] as the story witnesseth of Levi, that, when
his two brethren, Reuben and Simeon, were given to their mother Leah, he, this
Levi, was done to. Take heed of this word, that he was "done to" and not given.
And therefore it is said that a man shall not presume of hope of forgiveness
before the time that his heart be peeked in dread and contrite in sorrow;
without these two, hope is presumption, and where these two are,
hope is done to; and thus after sorrow cometh soon comfort, as David telleth in
the psalm that "after the muchness of my sorrow in my heart," he saith to our
Lord, "Thy comforts have gladded my soul."[44]
And therefore it is that the Holy Ghost is called Paracletus, that is,
comforter, for oft times he vouchethsafe to comfort a sorrowful
soul.
HOW LOVE RISETH IN THE AFFECTION
FROM now forth beginneth a manner of homeliness for to grow between God and a
man's soul; and also on a manner a kindling of love, in so much that oft times
he feeleth him not only be visited of God and comforted in His coming, but oft
times also he feeleth him filled with an unspeakable joy. This homeliness and
this kindling of love first felt Leah, when, after that Levi was born, she
cried with a great voice and said: "Now shall my husband be coupled to me."[45] The true spouse of our soul is God, and then
are we truly coupled unto Him, when we draw near Him by hope and soothfast
love. And right as after hope cometh love, so after Levi was Judah born, the
fourth son of Leah. Leah in his birth cried and said: "Now shall I
shrive to our Lord."[46] And therefore in the
story is Judah cleped "Shrift."[47] Also man's
soul in this degree of love offereth it clearly to God, and saith thus: "Now
shall I shrive to our Lord." For before this feeling of love in a man's soul,
all that he doth is done more for dread than for love; but in this state a
man's soul feeleth God so sweet, so merciful, so good, so courteous, so true,
and so kind, so faithful, so lovely and so homely, that he leaveth nothing in
him--might, wit, conning,[48] or will--that he
offereth not it clearly, freely, and homely unto Him. This shrift is not only
of sin, but of the goodness of God. Great token of love it is when a man
telleth to God that He is good. Of this shrift speaketh David full oft times in
the psalter, when he saith: "Make it known to God, for He is good."[49]
Lo, now
have we said of four sons of Leah. And after this she left bearing of children
till another time; and so man's soul weeneth that it sufficeth to it when it
feeleth that it loveth the true goods.[50] And
so it is enough to salvation, but not to perfection. For it falleth to a
perfect soul both to be inflamed with the fire of love in the affection, and
also to be illumined with the light of knowing in the reason.
HOW THE DOUBLE SIGHT OF PAIN AND JOY RISETH IN THE IMAGINATION
THEN when Judah waxeth, that is to say, when love and desire of unseen true
goods is rising and waxing in a man's affection; then coveteth Rachel for to
bear some children; that is to say, then coveteth reason to know these things
that affection feeleth; for as it falleth to the affection for to love, so it
falleth to the reason for to know. Of affection springeth ordained and measured
feelings; and of reason springeth right knowings[51] and clear understandings. And ever the more that Judah
waxeth, that is to say love, so much the more desireth Rachel bearing of
children, that is to say, reason studieth after knowing. But who is he that
woteth not how hard it is, and nearhand impossible to a fleshly soul the which
is yet rude in ghostly studies, for to rise in knowing of unseeable[52] things, and for to set the eye of
contemplation in ghostly things? For why, a soul that is yet rude and fleshly,
knoweth nought but bodily things, and nothing cometh yet to the mind but only
seeable[53] things. And,
nevertheless, yet it looketh inward as it may; and that that it may not see yet
clearly by ghostly knowing, it thinketh by
imagination.
And this is the cause why Rachel
had first children of her maiden than of herself. And so it is that, though all
a man's soul may not yet get the light of ghostly knowing in the reason, yet it
thinketh it sweet to hold the mind on God and ghostly things in the
imagination. As by Rachel we understand reason, so by her maiden Bilhah we
understand imagination. And, therefore, reason sheweth that it is more
profitable for to think on ghostly things, in what manner so it be; yea, if it
be in kindling of our desire with some fair imagination; than it is for to
think on vanities and deceivable things of this world. And, therefore, of
Bilhah were born these two: Dan and Naphtali. Dan is to say sight of pains to
come; and Naphtali, sight of joys to come. These two children are full needful
and full speedful unto a working soul; the one for to put down evil suggestions
of sins; and the other for to raise up our wills in working of good and in
kindling of our desires. For as it falleth to Dan to put down evil suggestions
of sin by sight of pains to come, so it falleth to the other brother Naphtali
to raise up our wills in working of good, and in kindling of holy desires by
sight of joys to come. And therefore holy men, when they are stirred to any
unlawful thing, by inrising of any foul thought, as oft they set before their
mind the pains that are to come; and so they slaken their
temptation in the beginning, ere it rise to any foul delight in their soul. And
as oft as their devotion and their liking in God and ghostly things cease and
wax cold (as oft times it befalleth in this life, for corruption of the flesh
and many other skills),[54] so oft they set
before their mind the joy that is to come. And so they kindle their will with
holy desires, and destroy their temptation in the beginning, ere it come to any
weariness or heaviness of sloth. And for that[55] with Dan we damn unlawful thoughts, therefore he is well
cleped in the story "Doom."[56] And also his
father Jacob said of him thus: "Dan shall deem his folk."[57] And also it is said in the story that, when Bilhah
brought forth Dan, Rachel said thus: "Our Lord hath deemed me";[58] that is to say: "Our Lord hath evened me unto my sister
Leah." And thus saith reason, when the imagination hath gotten the sight of
pains to come, that our Lord hath evened her with her sister affection; and she
saith thus, for she hath the sight of pains to come in her imagination, of the
which she had dread and sorrow in her feeling. And then after came Naphtali,
that is to say, the sight of joys to come. And in his birth spake Rachel and
said: "I am made like to my sister Leah";[59] and therefore is Naphtali cleped in the story
"Likeness."[60] And thus saith reason that she
is made like to her sister affection. For there as she had gotten hope and love
of joy to come in her feeling, she hath now gotten sight of joy to come in her
imagination. Jacob said of Naphtali that he was "a hart sent out, giving
speeches of fairhead."[61] So it is that, when
we imagine of the joys of heaven, we say that it is fair in heaven. For[62] wonderfully kindleth Naphtali our souls with
holy desires, as oft as we imagine of the worthiness and the fairhead of the
joys of heaven.
HOW THE VIRTUES OF ABSTINENCE AND PATIENCE RISE IN THE
SENSUALITY
WHEN Leah saw that Rachel her sister made great joy of these two bastards born
of Bilhah her maiden, she called forth her maiden Zilpah, to put to her husband
Jacob; that she might make joy with her sister, having other two
bastards gotten of her maiden Zilpah. And thus it is seemly in man's soul for
to be, that from the time that reason hath refrained the great jangling of
imagination, and hath put her to be underlout[63] to God, and maketh her to bear some fruit in helping of
her knowing, that right so the affection refrain the lust and the thirst of the
sensuality, and make her to be underlout to God, and so to bear some fruit in
helping of her feeling. But what fruit may she bear, ought but that she learn
to live temperately in easy things, and patiently in uneasy things? These are
they, the children of Zilpah, Gad and Asher: Gad is abstinence, and Asher is
patience. Gad is the sooner born child, and Asher the latter; for first it
needeth that we be attempered in ourself with discreet abstinence, and after
that we bear outward disease[64] in strength
of patience. These are the children that Zilpah brought forth in sorrow; for in
abstinence and patience the sensuality is punished in the flesh; but that that
is sorrow to the sensuality turneth to much comfort and bliss to the affection.
And therefore it is that, when Gad was born, Leah cried and said: "Happily"[65]; and therefore Gad is cleped in the story
"Happiness," or "Seeliness."[66]
And so it is well said that abstinence in the sensuality is happiness[67] in the affection. For why, ever the less
that the sensuality is delighted in her lust, the more sweetness feeleth the
affection in her love. Also after when Asher was born, Leah said: "This shall
be for my bliss";[68] and therefore was Asher
called in the story "Blessed."[69] And so it
is well said that patience in the sensuality is bliss in the affection. For
why, ever the more disease that the sensuality suffereth, the more blessed is
the soul in the affection. And thus by abstinence and patience we shall not
only understand a temperance in meat and drink, and suffering of outward
tribulation, but also [in] all manner of fleshly, kindly,[70] and worldly delights, and all manner of disease, bodily
and ghostly, within or without, reasonable or unreasonable, that by any of our
five wits torment or delight the sensuality. On this wise beareth the
sensuality fruit in help of affection, her lady. Much peace and rest is in that
soul that neither is drunken in the lust of the sensuality, nor grutcheth[71] in the pain thereof. The first of these is gotten by Gad and the latter by Asher. Here it is to wete that
first was Rachel's maiden put to the husband or the maiden of Leah; and this is
the skill why. For truly, but if the jangling of the imagination, that is to
say, the in-running of vain thoughts, be first refrained, without doubt the
lust of the sensuality may not be attempered. And therefore who so will abstain
him from fleshly and worldly lusts, him behoveth first seldom or never think
any vain thoughts.[72] And also never in this
life may a man perfectly despise the ease of the flesh, and not dread the
disease, but if he have before busily beholden the meeds and the torments that
are to come. But here it is to wete how that, with these four sons of these two
maidens, the city of our conscience is kept wonderfully from all temptations.
For all temptation either it riseth within by thought, or else without by some
of our five wits. But within shall Dan deem and damn evil thoughts by sight of
pain; and without shall Gad put against[73]
false delights by use of abstinence. Dan waketh[74] within, and Gad without; and also their other two
brethren helpen them full much: Naphtali maketh peace within with Dan, and
Asher biddeth Gad have no dread of his enemies. Dan feareth the heart with ugsomeness of hell, and Naphtali cherisheth it with behighting[75] of heavenly bliss. Also Asher helpeth his
brother without, so that, through them both, the wall of the city is not
broken. Gad holdeth out ease, and Asher pursueth disease. Asher soon deceiveth
his enemy, when he bringeth to mind the patience of his father[76] and the behighting of Naphtali, and thus oft times ever
the more enemies he hath, the more matter he hath of overcoming. And therefore
it is that, when he hath overcome his enemies (that is to say, the adversities
of this world), soon he turneth him to his brother Gad to help to destroy his
enemies. And without fail, from that he be come, soon they turn the back, and
flee. The enemies of Gad are fleshly delights; but truly, from the time that a
man have patience in the pain of his abstinence, false delights find no woning
stead[77] in
him.
HOW JOY OF INWARD SWEETNESS RISETH IN THE AFFECTION
THUS when the enemy fleeth and the city is peased,[78] then beginneth a man to prove what the high peace of God
is that passeth man's wit. And therefore it is that Leah left
bearing of children unto this time that Gad and Asher were born of Zilpah, her
maiden. For truly, but if it be so that a man have refrained the lust and the
pain of his five wits in his sensuality by abstinence and patience, he shall
never feel inward sweetness and true joy in God and ghostly things in the
affection. This is that Issachar, the fifth son of Leah, the which in the story
is cleped "Meed."[79] [And well is this joy of
inward sweetness cleped "meed"];[80] for this
joy is the taste of heavenly bliss, the which is the endless meed of a devout
soul, beginning here. Leah, in the birth of this child, said: "God hath given
me meed, for that I have given my maiden to my husband in bearing of
children."[81] And so it is good that we make
our sensuality bear fruit in abstaining it from all manner of fleshly, kindly,
and worldly delight, and in fruitful suffering of all fleshly and worldly
disease; therefore our Lord of His great mercy giveth us joy unspeakable and
inward sweetness in our affection, in earnest[82] of the sovereign joy and meed of the kingdom of heaven.
Jacob said of Issachar that he was "a strong ass dwelling between the terms."[83] And so it is that a man in this
state, and that feeleth the earnest of everlasting joy in his affection, is as
"an ass, strong and dwelling between the terms"; because that, be he never so
filled in soul of ghostly gladness and joy in God, yet, for corruption of the
flesh in this deadly life, him behoveth bear the charge of the deadly body, as
hunger, thirst, and cold, sleep, and many other diseases; for the which he is
likened to an ass as in body; but as in soul he is strong for to destroy all
the passions and the lusts of the flesh by patience and abstinence in the
sensuality, and by abundance of ghostly joy and sweetness in the affection. And
also a soul in this state is dwelling between the terms of deadly life and
undeadly life. He that dwelleth between the terms hath nearhand forsaken
deadliness, but not fully, and hath nearhand gotten undeadliness, but not
fully; for whiles that him needeth the goods of this world, as meat and drink
and clothing, as it falleth to each man that liveth, yet his one foot is in
this deadly life; and for great abundance of ghostly joy and sweetness that he
feeleth in God, not seldom but oft, he hath his other foot in the undeadly
life. Thus I trow that saint Paul felt, when he said this word of great desire:
"Who shall deliver me from this deadly body?"[84] And when he said thus: "I covet to be loosed and to be
with Christ."[85] And thus doth the soul that
feeleth Issachar in his affection, that is to say, the joy of inward sweetness, the which is understanden by Issachar. It enforceth it to
forsake this wretched life, but it may not; it coveteth to enter the blessed
life, but it may not; it doth that it may, and yet it dwelleth between the
terms.
HOW PERFECT HATRED OF SIN RISETH IN THE AFFECTION
AND therefore it is that after Issachar Zebulun is born, that is to say, hatred
of sin. And here it is to wete why that hatred of sin is never perfectly felt
in a man's affection, ere the time that ghostly joy of inward sweetness be felt
in the affection, and this is the skill: for ere this time was never the true
cause of hatred felt in the affection. For the feeling of ghostly joy teacheth
a man what sin harmeth the soul. And all after that the harm in the soul is
felt much or little, thereafter is the hatred measured, more or less, unto the
harming. But when a soul, by the grace of God and long travail, is come to
feeling of ghostly joy in God, then it feeleth that sin hath been the cause of
the delaying thereof. And also when he feeleth that he may not alway last in
the feeling of that ghostly joy, for the corruption of the flesh, of the which
corruption sin is the cause; then he riseth with a strong feeling of hatred
against all sin and all kind of sin. This feeling taught David us
to have, where he saith in the psalm: "Be ye wroth and will ye not sin";[86] that is thus to mean: Be ye wroth with the
sin, but not with the kind.[87] For kind
stirreth to the deed, but not to sin. And here it is to wete that this wrath
and this hatred is not contrary to charity, but charity teacheth how it shall
be had both in a man's self and in his even Christian;[88] for a man should [not] hate sin [so that he destroy his
kind, but so that he destroy the sin and the appetite of sin] in his kind. And,
as against our even Christian, we ought to hate sin in him, and to love him;
and of this hatred speaketh David in the psalm, where he saith thus: "With
perfect hatred I hated them."[89] And in
another psalm he saith that "he had in hatred all wicked ways."[90] Thus it is well proved that, ere Zebulun was born, Judah
and Issachar were both born. For but if a man have had charity and ghostly joy
in his feeling first, he may in no wise feel this perfect hatred of sin in his
affection. For Judah, that is to say, charity, teacheth us how we shall hate
sin in ourself and in our brethren; and Issachar, that is to say, ghostly
feeling of joy in God, teacheth us why we shall hate sin in ourself
and in our brethren. Judah biddeth us hate sin and love the kind; and Issachar
biddeth us destroy the sin and save the kind; and thus it falleth for to be
that the kind may be made strong in God and in ghostly things by perfect hatred
and destroying of sin. And therefore is Zebulun cleped in the story "a dwelling
stead of strength."[91] And Leah said in his
birth: "My husband shall now dwell with me";[92] and so it is that God, that is the true husband of our
soul, is dwelling in that soul, strengthening it in the affection with ghostly
joy and sweetness in His love, that travaileth busily to destroy sin in himself
and in others by perfect hatred of the sin and all the kind of sin. And thus it
is said how Zebulun is born.
HOW ORDAINED SHAME RISETH AND GROWETH IN THE AFFECTION
BUT though all that a soul through grace feel in it perfect hatred of sin,
whether it may yet live without sin? Nay, sikerly;[93] and therefore let no man presume of himself, when the
Apostle saith thus: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourself, and soothfastness is not in us."[94]
And also saint Austin saith that he dare well say that there is no man living
without sin.[95] And I pray thee, who is he
that sinneth not in ignorance? Yea, and oft times it falleth that God suffereth
those men to fall full grievously by the which He hath ordained other men's
errors to be righted, that they may learn by their own falling how merciful
they shall be in amending of others. And for that oft times men fall grievously
in those same sins that they most hate, therefore, after hatred of sin,
springeth ordained shame in a man's soul; and so it is that after Zebulun was
Dinah born. As by Zebulun hatred of sin, so by Dinah is understanden ordained
shame of sin. But wete thou well: he that felt never Zebulun, felt never yet
Dinah. Evil men have a manner of shame, but it is not this ordained shame. For
why, if they had perfect shame of sin, they should not so customably do it with
will and advisement;[96] but they shame more
with a foul cloth on their body, than with a foul thought in their soul. But
what so thou be that weenest that thou hast gotten Dinah, think whether thee
would shame as much if a foul thought were in thine heart, as thee would if
thou were made to stand naked before the king and all his royalme;
and sikerly else wete it thou right well that thou hast not yet gotten ordained
shame in thy feeling, if so be that thou have less shame with thy foul heart
than with thy foul body, and if thou think more shame with thy foul body in the
sight of men than with thy foul heart in the sight of the King of heaven and of
all His angels and holy saints in heaven.
Lo,
it is now said of the seven children of Leah, by the which are understanden
seven manner of affections in a man's soul, the which may be now ordained and
now unordained, now measured and now unmeasured; but when they are ordained and
measured, then are they virtues; and when they are unordained and unmeasured,
then are they vices. Thus behoveth a man have children[97] that they be not only ordained, but also measured. Then
are they ordained when they are of that thing that they should be, and then are
they unordained when they are of that thing that they should not be; and then
are they measured when they are as much as they should be, and then are they
unmeasured when they are more than they should be. For why, overmuch dread
bringeth in despair, and overmuch sorrow casteth a man in to bitterness and
heaviness of kind,[98] for the which he is
unable to receive ghostly comfort. And overmuch hope is presumption, and
outrageous love is but flattering and faging,[99] and outrageous gladness is dissolution and wantonness,
and untempered hatred of sin is woodness.[100]
And on this manner, they are unordained and unmeasured, and thus are they
turned in to vices, and then lose they the name of virtues, and may not be
accounted amongst the sons of Jacob, that is to say, God: for by Jacob is
understanden God, as it is shewed in the figure before.
HOW DISCRETION AND CONTEMPLATION RISE IN THE REASON
Thus it seemeth that the virtue of discretion needeth to be had, with the which
all others may be governed; for without it all virtues are turned in to vices.
This is Joseph, that is the late born child, but yet his father loveth him more
than them all. For why, without discretion may neither goodness be gotten nor
kept, and therefore no wonder though that virtue be singularly loved, without
which no virtue may be had nor governed. But what wonder though this virtue be
late gotten, when we may not win to the perfection of discretion without much
custom and many travails of these other affections coming before? For first
behoveth us to be used in each virtue by itself, and get the proof
of them all serely,[101] ere we may have full
knowing of them all, or else can deem sufficiently of them all. And when we use
us busily in these feelings and beholdings before said, oft times we fall and
oft times we rise. Then, by our oft falling, may we learn how much wariness us
behoveth have in the getting and keeping of these virtues. And thus sometime,
by long use, a soul is led into full discretion, and then it may joy in the
birth of Joseph. And before this virtue be conceived in a man's soul, all that
these other virtues do, it is without discretion. And therefore, in as much as
a man presumeth and enforceth him in any of these feelings beforesaid, over his
might and out of measure, in so much the fouler he falleth and faileth of his
purpose. And therefore it is that, after them all and last, is Dinah born; for
often, after a foul fall and a failing, cometh soon shame. And thus after many
failings and failings, and shames following, a man learneth by the proof that
there is nothing better than to be ruled after counsel, the which is the
readiest getting of discretion. For why, he that doth all things with counsel,
he shall never forthink[102] it; for better is
a sly man than a strong man; yea, and better is list than lither strength,[103] and a sly man speaketh of
victories. And here is the open skill why that neither Leah nor Zilpah nor
Bilhah might bear such a child, but only Rachel; for, as it is said before,
that of reason springeth right counsel, the which is very discretion,
understanden by Joseph, the first son of Rachel; and then at the first bring we
forth Joseph in our reason when all that we are stirred to do, we do it with
counsel. This Joseph shall not only know what sins we are most stirred unto,
but also he shall know the weakness of our kind, and after that either asketh,
so shall he do remedy, and seek counsel at wiser than he, and do after them, or
else he is not Joseph, Jacob's son born of Rachel. And also by this foresaid[104] Joseph a man is not only learned to
eschew the deceits of his enemies, but also oft a man is led by him to the
perfect knowing of himself; and all after that a man knoweth himself,
thereafter he profiteth in the knowing of God, of whom he is the image and the
likeness. And therefore it is that after Joseph is Benjamin born. For as by
Joseph discretion, so by Benjamin we understand contemplation. And both are
they born of one mother, and gotten of one father. For through the grace of God
lightening our reason, come we to the perfect knowing of ourself and of God,
that is to say, after that it may be in this life. But long after Joseph is
Benjamin born. For why, truly but if it so be that we use us busily and long in
ghostly travails, with the which we are learned to know ourself, we
may not be raised in to the knowing and contemplation of God. He doth for
nought that lifteth up his eye to the sight of God, that is not yet able to see
himself. For first I would that a man learned him to know the unseeable[105] things of his own spirit, ere he presume
to know the unseeable things of the spirit of God; and he that knoweth not yet
himself and weeneth that he hath gotten somedeal knowing of the unseeable
things of God, I doubt it not but that he is deceived; and therefore I rede
that a man seek first busily for to know himself, the which is made to the
image and the likeness of God as in soul. And wete thou well that he that
desireth for to see God, him behoveth to cleanse his soul, the which is as a
mirror in the which all things are clearly seen, when it is clean; and when the
mirror is foul, then mayst thou see nothing clearly therein; and right so it is
of thy soul, when it is foul, neither thou knowest thyself nor God. As when the
candle brenneth, thou mayst then see the self candle[106] by the light thereof, and other things also; right so,
when thy soul brenneth in the love of God, that is, when thou feelest
continually thine heart desire after the love of God, then, by the light of His
grace that He sendeth in thy reason, thou mayst see both thine own unworthiness
and His great goodness. And therefore cleanse thy mirror and
proffer thy candle to the fire; and then, when thy mirror is cleansed and thy
candle brenning, and it so be that thou wittily behold thereto, then beginneth
there a manner of clarity of the light of God for to shine in thy soul, and a
manner of sunbeam that is ghostly to appear before thy ghostly sight, through
the which the eye of thy soul is opened to behold God and godly things, heaven
and heavenly things, and all manner of ghostly things. But this sight is but by
times, when God will vouchsafe for to give it to a working[107] soul, the whiles it is in the battle of this deadly
life; but after this life it shall be everlasting. This light shone in the soul
of David, when he said thus in the psalm: "Lord, the light of Thy face is
marked upon us; Thou hast given gladness within mine heart."[108] The light of God's face is the shining of His grace,
that reformeth in us His image that hath been disfigured with the darkness of
sin; and therefore a soul that brenneth in desire of His sight,[109] if it hope for to have that that it desireth, wete it
well it hath conceived Benjamin. And, therefore, what is more healfull[110] than the sweetness of this sight, or what
softer thing may be felt? Sikerly, none; and that woteth Rachel full well. For
why, reason saith that, in comparison of this sweetness, all other sweetness is
sorrow, and bitter as gall before honey. Nevertheless, yet may a
man never come to such a grace by his own slight.[111] For why, it is the gift of God without desert of man.
But without doubt, though it be not the desert of man, yet no man may take such
grace without great study and brenning desires coming before; and that woteth
Rachel full well, and therefore she multiplieth her study, and whetteth her
desires, seeking desire upon desire;[112] so
that at the last, in great abundance of brenning desires and sorrow of the
delaying of her desire, Benjamin is born, and his mother Rachel dieth;[113] for why, in what time that a soul is
ravished above itself by abundance of desires and a great multitude of love, so
that it is inflamed with the light of the Godhead, sikerly then dieth all man's
reason.
And therefore, what so thou be that
covetest to come to contemplation of God, that is to say, to bring forth such a
child that men clepen in the story Benjamin (that is to say, sight of God),
then shalt thou use thee in this manner. Thou shalt call together thy thoughts
and thy desires, and make thee of them a church, and learn thee therein for to
love only this good word Jesu, so that all thy desires and all thy
thoughts are only set for to love Jesu, and that unceasingly as it may be here;
so that thou fulfill that is said in the psalm: "Lord, I shall
bless Thee in churches";[114] that is, in
thoughts and desires of the love of Jesu. And then, in this church of thoughts
and desires, and in this onehead of studies and of wills, look that all thy
thoughts, and all thy desires, and all thy studies, and all thy wills be only
set in the love and the praising of this Lord Jesu, without forgetting, as far
forth as thou mayst by grace, and as thy frailty will suffer; evermore meeking
thee to prayer and to counsel, patiently abiding the will of our Lord, unto the
time that thy mind be ravished above itself, to be fed with the fair food of
angels in the beholding of God and ghostly things:[115] so that it be fulfilled in thee that is written in the
psalm: Ibi Benjamin adolesentulus in mentis excessu;[116] that is: "There is Benjamin, the young child, in
ravishing of mind." The grace of Jesu keep thee evermore.[117] Amen
DEO GRATIAS
HERE FOLLOWETH DIVERS DOCTRINES DEVOUT AND FRUITFUL, TAKEN OUT OF
THE LIFE OF THAT GLORIOUS VIRGIN AND SPOUSE OF OUR LORD, SAINT KATHERIN OF
SEENES. AND FIRST THOSE WHICH OUR LORD TAUGHT AND SHEWED TO HERSELF, AND SITH
THOSE WHICH SHE TAUGHT AND SHEWED UNTO OTHERS
THE first doctrine of our Lord is
this:
"Knowest thou not, daughter, who thou
art and who I am? If thou know well these two words, thou art and shalt be
blessed. Thou art she that art nought; and I am He that am ought.[118] If thou have the very knowledge of these
two things in thy soul, thy ghostly enemy shall never deceive thee, but thou
shalt eschew graciously all his malice;[119]
and thou shalt never consent to any thing that is against My commandments and
precepts, but all grace, all truth, and all charity thou shalt win without any
hardness."
The second doctrine of our Lord is this:
"Think on Me, and I shall think on thee."
In declaring of which doctrine she was wont to
say that:
"A soul which is verily united to God perceiveth
not, seeth not, nor loveth not herself, nor none other soul, nor hath no mind
of no creature but only on God."
And these words she expoundeth more expressly,
and saith thus:
"Such a soul seeth herself, that she is very
nought of herself, and knoweth perfectly that all the goodness, with all the
mights of the soul, is her Maker's. She forsaketh utterly herself and all
creatures, and hideth herself fully in her Maker, our Lord Jesu; in so much
that she sendeth fully and principally all her ghostly and bodily workings in
to Him; in whom she perceiveth that she may find all goodness, and all
perfection of blessedness. And, therefore, she shall have no will to go out
from such inward knowledge of Him for nothing.[120] And of this unity of love, that is increased every day
in such a soul, she is transformed in a manner in to our Lord, that she may neither think, nor understand, nor love, nor have no mind but God, or
else in God. For she may not see herself, nor none other creature, but only in
God; nor she may not love herself, nor none other, but only in God; nor she may
have no mind of herself nor of none other, but only in God, nor she may have no
mind but only of her Maker. And therefore," she said, "we shall have none other
business but only to think how we may please Him, unto whom we have committed
all our governance both in body and soul."
The third doctrine of our Lord is this; in
obtaining of virtue and ghostly strength:
"Daughter, if thou wilt get unto thee virtue and
also ghostly strength,[121] thou must follow
Me. Albeit that I might by My godly virtue have overcome all the power of the
fiends by many manner ways of overcoming, yet, for to give you ensample by My
manhood, I would not overcome him but only by taking of death upon the Cross,
that ye might be taught thereby, if ye will overcome your ghostly enemies, for
to take the Cross as I did; the which Cross shall be to you a great refreshing
in all your temptations, if ye have mind of the pains that I suffered
thereon.[122] And certainly the pains of the
Cross may well be called refreshing of temptations, for the more pain
ye suffer for My love, the more like ye be to Me. And if ye be so like to Me in
passion, needs ye must be like to Me in joy.[123] Therefore for My love, daughter, suffer patiently
bitter things, and not sweet things; and doubt in no wise, for thou shalt be
strong enough for to suffer all things patiently."
The first doctrine of this glorious virgin is
this:
"A soul which is verily mete[124] to God, as much as it hath of the love of God, so much
it hath of the hate of her own sensuality. For of the love of God naturally
cometh hate of sin, the which is done against God. The soul, therefore,
considering that the root and beginning of sin reigneth in the sensuality, and
there principally is rooted, she is moved and stirred highly and holily with
all her mights against her own sensuality; not utterly to destroy the root, for
that may not be, as long as the soul dwelleth in the body living in this life,
but ever there shall be left a root, namely of small venial sins. And because
she may not utterly destroy the root of sin thus in her sensuality, she
conceiveth a great displeasaunce against her sensuality, of the which
displeasaunce springeth an holy hate and a despising of the sensuality, by the
which the soul is ever well kept from her ghostly enemies. There is nothing
that keepeth the soul so strong and so sure as doth such an holy
hate. And that felt well the Apostle, when he said: Cum infirmor, tonc
fortior sum et potens;[125] that is:
When I am sick and feeble in my sensuality by hate of sin, then am I stronger
and mightier in my soul. Lo, of such hate cometh virtue, of such feebleness
cometh strength, and of such displeasaunce cometh pleasaunce. This holy hate
maketh a man meek, and to feel meek things of himself. It maketh him patient in
adversity, temperate in prosperity, and setteth him in all honesty of virtue,
and maketh him to be loved both of God and man. And where this holy hate is
not, there is inordinate love, which is the stinking canal of all sin, and
root[126] of all evil concupiscence. Do
therefore," she saith, "your business to put away such inordinate love of your
own self, out of your hearts, and plant therein holy hate of sin. For certain
that is the right way to perfection, and amendment of all sin."
Here is a common answer which she used to say to
the fiends:
"I trust in my Lord Jesu Christ, and not in
myself."
Here is a rule how we shall behave us in time of
temptation:
"When temptation," she saith, "ariseth in us, we
should never dispute nor make questions; for that is," she saith, "that the
fiend most seeketh of us for to fall in questions with him. He
trusteth so highly in the great subtlety of his malice, that he should overcome
us with his sophistical reasons. Therefore a soul should never make questions,
nor answer to the questions of the fiend, but rather turn her to devout prayer,
and commend her to our Lord that she consent not to his subtle demands; for by
virtue of devout prayer, and steadfast faith, we may overcome all the subtle
temptations of the fiend."
Here is a good conceit of this holy maid to
eschew the temptations of the fiend:
"It happeneth," she said, "that otherwhile[127] the devout fervour of a soul loving our
Lord Jesu, either by some certain sin, or else by some new subtle temptations
of the fiend, waxeth dull and slow, and otherwhile it is brought to very
coldness;[128] in so much that some unwitty
folks, considering that they be destitute from the ghostly comfort
the which they were wont to have, leave[129]
therefore the ghostly exercise that they were wont to use of prayer, of
meditations, of reading, of holy communications, and of penance doing; whereby
they be made more ready to be overcome of the fiend. For he desireth nothing
else of Christ's knights, but that they should put away their armour by the
which they were wont to overcome their enemies. A wise knight of our Lord Jesu
should not do so. But thus, the more he feeleth[130] himself dull and slow, or cold in devotion, the rather
he should continue in his ghostly exercise, and not for to make them less, but
rather increase them."
Here is another doctrine of this holy maid, the
which she used to say to herself in edifying of others:
"Thou vile and wretched creature, art thou worthy
any manner of comfort in this life? Why hast thou not mind of thy sins? What
supposest thou of thyself, wretched sinner? Is it not enough to thee, trowest
thou not, that thou art escaped by the mercy of our Lord from everlasting
damnation? Therefore thou shouldest be well apaid,[131] wretch, though thou suffer all the pains and darkness
of thy soul all the days of thy life. Why art thou, then, heavy and sorrowful
to suffer such pains, sith by God's grace thou shalt escape endless pains with Christ Jesu without any doubt, and be comforted endlessly, if thou
bear these pains patiently. Whether hast thou chosen to serve our Lord only for
the comfort that thou mayst have of Him in this life? Nay, but for the comfort
that thou shalt have of Him in the bliss of heaven. Therefore arise up now, and
cease never of thy ghostly exercise that thou hast used, but rather increase to
them more."
Here is an answer by the which she had a final
victory of the fiend, after long threats of intolerable pains:
"I have chosen pain for my refreshing, and
therefore it is not hard to me to suffer them, but rather delectable for the
love of my Saviour, as long as it pleaseth His Majesty that I shall suffer
them."
Here is a doctrine of the said virgin, how we
should use the grace of our Lord:
"Who so could use the grace of our Lord, he
should ever have the victory of all things that falleth to him. For as often,"
she said, "as any new thing falleth to a man, be it of prosperity or adversity,
he should think in himself thus: Of this will I win somewhat. For he that can
do so, shall soon be rich in virtue."
Here followeth notable doctrines of this holy
maid, taken of her sermon which she made to her disciples before her passing,
and the first was this:
"What so ever he be that cometh to the service of
God, if he will have God truly, it is needful to him that he make his
heart naked from all sensible love, not only of certain persons but of every
creature what that ever he be, and then he should stretch up his soul to our
Lord and our Maker, simply, with all the desire of his heart. For an heart may
not wholly be given to God, but if it be free from all other love, open and
simple without doubleness." And so she affirmed of herself, that it was her
principal labour and business from her young age unto that time, ever for to
come to that perfection. Also she said that she knew well that to such a state
of perfection, in the which all the heart is given to God, a soul may not come
perfectly without meditation of devout prayer, and that the prayer be grounded
in meekness, and that it come not forth and proceed by any trust of any manner
of virtue of him that prayeth, but alway he should know himself to be right
nought. For she said that that was ever her business, to give herself to the
exercise of prayer, so for to win the continual habit of prayer; for she did
see well that by prayer all virtues are increased, and made mighty and strong;
and, without prayer, they wax feeble and defail.[132] Wherefore she induced her disciples that they should
busy them to prayer perseverauntly; and therefore she told them of two manner
of prayers:[133] Vocal and Mental. Vocal prayers, she said, should be kept certain hours in the night and in the
day ordained by holy Church; but mental prayer should ever be had, in act or in
habit of the soul. Also she said that, by the light of quick faith, she saw
clearly and conceived in her soul that what that ever befell to her, or to any
others, all cometh from God, not for hate but for great love that He hath to
His creatures; and by[134] this quick faith
she conceived in herself a love and a readiness to obey as well to the precepts
of her sovereigns,[135] as to the
commandments of God, ever thinking that their precepts should come from God,
either for need of herself, or else for increase of virtue in her soul. Also
she said, for to get and purchase purity of soul, it were right necessary that
a man kept himself from all manner of judgments of his [neighbour, and from all
idle speaking of his][136] neighbour's
deeds; for in every creature we should behold only the will of God. And
therefore she said that in no wise men should deem[137] creatures; that is, neither despise them by their
doom[138] nor condemn them, all be it that
they see them do open sin before them; but rather they should have compassion
on them and pray for them, and despise them not, nor condemn them.
Also she said that she had great hope and trust in God's providence; for, she
said, she knew well[139] by experience that
the Divine providence was and is a passing great thing, for it wanteth never to
them that hopeth in it.
DEO GRATIS
HERE BEGINNETH A SHORT TREATISE OF CONTEMPLATION TAUGHT BY OUR
LORD JESU CHRIST, OR TAKEN OUT OF THE BOOK OF MARGERY KEMPE, ANCRESS OF LYNN
SHE desired many times that her head might be smitten off with an axe upon a
block for the love of our Lord Jesu. Then said our Lord Jesu in her mind: "I
thank thee, daughter, that thou wouldest die for My love; for as often as thou
thinkest so, thou shalt have the same meed in heaven, as if thou suffredest the
same death, and yet there shall no man slay
thee.
"I assure thee in thy mind, if it were
possible for Me to suffer pain again, as I have done before, Me were lever to
suffer as much pain as ever I did for thy soul alone, rather than thou
shouldest depart from Me everlastingly.
"Daughter, thou mayst no better please God, than
to think continually in His love."
Then she asked our Lord Jesu Christ, how she
should best love Him. And our Lord said: "Have mind of thy wickedness, and
think on My goodness.
"Daughter, if thou wear the habergeon or the
hair,[140] fasting bread and water, and if
thou saidest every day a thousand Pater Nosters, thou shalt[141] not please Me so well as thou dost when thou art in
silence, and suffrest Me to speak in thy soul.
"Daughter, for to bid many beads, it is good to
them that can not better do, and yet it is not perfect.[142] But it is a good way toward perfection. For I tell
thee, daughter, they that be great fasters, and great doers of penance, they
would that it should be holden the best life.[143] And they that give them unto many devotions,
they would have that the best life. And those that give much almesse, they
would that it were holden the best life. And I have often told thee, daughter,
that thinking, weeping, and high contemplation is the best life in earth, and
thou shalt have more merit in heaven for one year thinking in thy mind than for
an hundred year of praying with thy mouth; and yet thou wilt not believe Me,
for thou wilt bid many beads.[144]
"Daughter, if thou knew how sweet thy love is to
Me, thou wouldest never do other thing but love Me with all thine heart.
"Daughter, if thou wilt be high with Me in
heaven, keep Me alway in thy mind as much as thou mayst, and forget not Me at
thy meat; but think alway that I sit in thine heart and know every thought that
is therein, both good and bad.
"Daughter, I have suffered many pains for thy
love; therefore thou hast great cause to love Me right well, for I have bought
thy love full dear."
"Dear Lord," she said, "I pray Thee, let me never
have other joy in earth, but mourning and weeping for Thy love; for
me thinketh, Lord, though I were in hell, if I might weep there and mourn for
Thy love as I do here, hell should not noye[145] me, but it should be a manner of heaven. For Thy love
putteth away all manner of dread of our ghostly enemy; for I had lever be
there, as long as Thou wouldest, and please Thee, than to be in this world and
displease Thee; therefore, good Lord, as Thou wilt, so may[146] it be."
She had great wonder that our Lord would become
man, and suffer so grievous pains, for her that was so unkind a creature to
Him. And then, with great weeping, she asked our Lord Jesu how she might best
please Him; and He answered to her soul, saying: "Daughter, have mind of thy
wickedness, and think on My goodness." Then she prayed many times and often
these words: "Lord, for Thy great goodness, have mercy on my great wickedness,
as certainly as I was never so wicked as Thou art good, nor never may be though
I would; for Thou art so good, that Thou mayst no better be; and, therefore, it
is great wonder that ever any man should be departed from Thee without end."
When she saw the Crucifix, or if she saw a man
had a wound, or a beast, or if a man beat a child before her, or smote a horse
or another beast with a whip, if she might see it or hear it, she thought she
saw our Lord beaten or wounded, like as she saw in the man or in the beast.
The more she increased in love and in devotion,
the more she increased in sorrow and contrition, in lowliness[147] and meekness, and in holy dread of our Lord Jesu, and
in knowledge of her own frailty. So that if she saw any creature be punished or
sharply chastised, she would think that she had been more worthy to be
chastised than that creature was, for her unkindness against God. Then would
she weep for her own sin, and for compassion of that creature.
Our Lord said to her: "In nothing that thou dost
or sayest, daughter, thou mayst no better please God than believe that He
loveth thee. For, if it were possible that I might weep with thee, I would weep
with thee for the compassion that I have of thee."
Our merciful Lord Jesu Christ drew this creature
unto His love, and to the mind of His passion, that she might not endure to
behold a leper, or another sick man, specially if he had any wounds appearing
on him. So she wept as if she had seen our Lord Jesu with His wounds bleeding;
and so she did, in the sight of the soul; for, through the beholding of the
sick man, her mind was all ravished in to our Lord Jesu, that she had great
mourning and sorrowing that she might not kiss the leper when she met them in
the way, for the love of our Lord: which was all contrary to her disposition in
the years of her youth and prosperity, for then she abhorred them most.
Our Lord said: "Daughter, thou hast desired in
thy mind to have many priests in the town of Lynn, that might sing and read
night and day for to serve Me, worship Me, and praise Me, and thank Me for the
goodness that I have done to thee in earth; and therefore, daughter, I promise
thee that thou shalt have meed and reward in heaven for the good wills and good
desires, as if thou haddest done them in deed.
"Daughter, thou shalt have as great meed and as
great reward with Me in heaven, for thy good service and thy good deeds that
thou hast done in thy mind, as if thou haddest done the same with thy bodily
wits withoutforth.[148]
"And, daughter, I thank thee for the charity that
thou hast to all lecherous men and women; for thou prayest for them and weepest
for them many a tear, desiring that I should deliver them out of sin, and be as
gracious to them as I was to Mary Magdalene, that they might have as much grace
to love Me as Mary Magdalene had; and with this condition thou wouldest that
everich[149] of them should have twenty
pounds a year to love and praise Me; and, daughter, this great charity which
thou hast to them in thy prayer pleaseth Me right well. And,
daughter, also I thank thee for the charity which thou hast in thy prayer, when
thou prayest for all Jews and Saracens, and all heathen people that they should
come to Christian faith, that My name might be magnified in them. Furthermore,
daughter, I thank thee for the general charity that thou hast to all people
that be now in this world, and to all those that are to come unto the world's
end; that thou wouldest be hacked as small as flesh to the pot for their love,
so that I would by thy death save them all from damnation, if it pleased Me.
And, therefore, daughter, for all these good wills and desires, thou shalt have
full meed and reward in heaven, believe it right well and doubt never a
deal."
She said: "Good Lord, I would be laid naked upon
an hurdle for Thy love, all men to wonder on me and to cast filth and dirt on
me, and be drawen from town to town every day my life time, if Thou were
pleased thereby, and no man's soul hindered. Thy will be fulfilled and not
mine."
"Daughter," He said, "as oftentimes as thou
sayest or thinkest: Worshipped be all the holy places in Jerusalem, where
Christ suffered bitter pain and passion in: thou shalt have the same pardon
as if thou were there with thy bodily presence, both to thyself and to all
those that thou wilt give to.[150]
"The same pardon that was granted thee aforetime,
it was confirmed on Saint Nicholas day, that is to say, playne[151] remission; and it is not only granted to thee, but also
to all those that believe, and to all those that shall believe unto the world's
end, that God loveth thee, and shall thank God for thee. If they will forsake
their sin, and be in full will no more to turn again thereto, but be sorry and
heavy for that they have done, and will do due penance therefore, they shall
have the same pardon that is granted to thyself; and that is all the pardon
that is in Jerusalem,[152] as was granted
thee when thou were at Rafnys."[153]
That day that she suffered no tribulation for our
Lord's sake, she was not merry nor glad, as that day when she suffered
tribulation.
Our Lord Jesus said unto her: "Patience is more
worth than miracles doing. Daughter, it is more pleasure to Me that thou suffer
despites, scorns, shames, reproofs, wrongs, and diseases, than if
thine head were stricken off three times a day every day in seven year."
"Lord," she said, "for Thy great pain have mercy
on my little pain."
When she was in great trouble, our Lord said:
"Daughter, I must needs comfort thee, for now thou hast the right way to
heaven. By this way came I and all My disciples; for now thou shalt know the
better what sorrow and shame I suffered for thy love, and thou shalt have the
more compassion when thou thinkest on My passion."
"O my dear worthy Lord," said she, "these graces
Thou shouldest shew to religious men and to priests."
Our Lord said to her again: "Nay, nay, daughter,
for that I love best that they love not, and that is shames, reproofs, scorns,
and despites of the people; and therefore they shall not have this grace; for,
daughter, he that dreadeth the shames of this world may not perfectly love
God."
Here endeth a short treatise of a
devout ancress
called Margery Kempe of Lynn
HERE FOLLOWETH A DEVOUT TREATISE COMPILED BY MASTER WALTER HYLTON
OF THE SONG OF ANGELS
DEAR brother in Christ, I have understanding by thine own speech, and also by
telling of another man, that thou yearnest and desirest greatly for to have
more knowledge and understanding than thou hast of angel's song and heavenly
sound; what it is, and on what wise it is perceived and felt in a man's soul,
and how a man may be siker that it is true and not feigned; and how it is made
by the presence of the good angel, and not by the inputting of the evil angel.
These things thou wouldest wete of me; but, soothly, I cannot tell thee for a
surety the soothfastness of this matter; nevertheless somewhat, as me thinketh,
I shall shew thee in a short word.
Wete thou
well that the end and the sovereignty of perfection standeth in very onehead[154] of God and of a man's soul by perfect
charity. This onehead, then, is verily made when the mights of the soul are
reformed by grace to the dignity and the state of the first condition; that is,
when the mind is stabled sadly,[155] without
changing and vagation,[156] in God
and ghostly things, and when the reason is cleared from all worldly and fleshly
beholdings, and from all bodily imaginations, figures, and fantasies of
creatures, and is illumined by grace to behold God and ghostly things, and when
the will and the affection is purified and cleansed from all fleshly, kindly,
and worldly love, and is inflamed with brenning love of the Holy Ghost. This
wonderful onehead may not be fulfilled[157]
perfectly, continually, and wholly in this life, for the corruption of the
flesh, but only in the bliss of heaven. Nevertheless, the nearer that a soul in
this present life may come to this onehead, the more perfect it is. For the
more that it is reformed by grace to the image and the likeness of its Creator
here on this wise; the more joy and bliss shall it have in heaven. Our Lord God
is an endless being without changing, almighty without failing, sovereign
wisdom, light, soothness without error or darkness; sovereign goodness, love,
peace, and sweetness. Then the more that a soul is united, fastened, conformed,
and joined to our Lord, the more stable and mighty it is, the more wise and
clear, good and peaceable, loving and more virtuous it is, and so it is more
perfect. For a soul that hath by the grace of Jesu, and long travail of bodily
and ghostly exercise, overcome and destroyed concupiscences, and
passions, and unskilful stirrings[158]
within itself, and without in the sensuality, and is clothed all in virtues, as
in meekness and mildness, in patience and softness, in ghostly strength and
righteousness, in continence, in wisdom, in truth, hope and charity; then it is
made perfect, as it may be in this life. Much comfort it receiveth of our Lord,
not only inwardly in its own privy substance,[159] by virtue of the onehead to our Lord that lieth in
knowing and loving of God, in light and ghostly brenning of Him, in
transforming of the soul in to the Godhead; but also many other comforts,
savours, sweetnesses, and wonderful feelings on sere[160] or sundry manners, after that our Lord vouchethsafe to
visit His creatures here in earth, and after that the soul profiteth and waxeth
in charity. Some soul, by virtue of charity that God giveth it, is so cleansed,
that all creatures, and all that he heareth, or seeth, or feeleth by any of his
wits, turneth him to comfort and gladness; and the sensuality receiveth new
savour and sweetness in all creatures.[161]
And right as beforetime the likings in the sensuality were fleshly,
vain, and vicious, for the pain of the original sin; right so now they are made
ghostly and clean, without bitterness and biting of conscience. And this is the
goodness of our Lord, that sith the soul is punished in the sensuality, and the
flesh is partner of the pain, that afterward the soul be comforted in the
sensuality, and the flesh be fellow of joy and comfort with the soul, not
fleshly, but ghostly, as he was fellow in tribulation and pain. This is the
freedom and the lordship, the dignity, and the worship that a man[162] hath over all creatures, the which
dignity he may so recover by grace here, that every creature savour to him as
it is. And that is, when by grace he seeth, he heareth, he feeleth only God in
all creatures. On this manner of wise a soul is made ghostly in the sensuality
by abundance of charity, that is, in the substance of the soul. Also, our Lord
comforteth a soul by angel's song. What that song is, it may not be described
by no bodily likeness, for it is ghostly, and above all manner of imagination
and reason. It may be felt and perceived in a soul, but it may not be shewed.
Nevertheless, I shall speak thereof to thee as me thinketh. When a soul is
purified by the love of God, illumined by wisdom, stabled by the might of God,
then is the eye of the soul opened to behold ghostly things, as virtues and
angels and holy souls, and heavenly things.[163] Then is the soul able because of cleanness to
feel the touching, the speaking of good angels. This touching and speaking, it
is ghostly and not bodily.[164] For when the
soul is lifted and ravished out of the sensuality, and out of mind of any
earthly things, then in great fervour of love and light (if our Lord vouchsafe)
the soul may hear and feel heavenly sound, made by the presence of angels in
loving of God. Not that this song of angels is the sovereign joy of the soul;
but for the difference that is between a man's soul in flesh and an angel,
because of uncleanness, a soul may not hear it, but by ravishing in love, and
needeth for to be purified well clean, and fulfilled of much charity, or[165] it were able for to hear heavenly sound.
For the sovereign and the essential joy is in the love of God by Himself and
for Himself, and the secondary is in communing and beholding of angels and
ghostly creatures. For right as a soul, in understanding of ghostly things, is
often times touched and moved through bodily imagination by working of angels;
as Ezekiel the prophet did see in bodily imagination the soothfastness of God's
privities;[166] right so, in the love of
God, a soul by the presence of angels is ravished out of mind of all earthly
and fleshly things in to an heavenly joy, to hear angel's song and heavenly
sound, after that the charity is more or less.[167] Now, then, me thinketh that there may no soul feel
verily angel's song nor heavenly sound, but he be in perfect charity; though
all that are in perfect charity have not felt it, but only that soul that is so
purified in the fire of love that all earthly savour is brent out of it, and
all mean letting[168] between the soul and
the cleanness of angels is broken and put away from it. Then soothly may he
sing a new song, and soothly he may hear a blessed heavenly sound, and angel's
song without deceit or feigning. Our Lord woteth there that soul is that, for
abundance of brenning love, is worthy to hear angel's song. Who so then will
hear angel's song, and not be deceived by feigning of himself, nor by
imagination, nor by the illusion of the enemy, him behoveth for to have perfect
charity; and that is when all vain love and dread, vain joy and sorrow, is cast
out of the heart, so that it love nothing but God, nor dread nothing but God,
nor joyeth, nor sorroweth nothing but in God, or for God. Who so might by the
grace of God go this way, he should not err. Nevertheless, some men are
deceived by their own imagination, or by the illusion of the enemy in this
manner.[169] Some man, when he hath long
travailed bodily and ghostily in destroying of sins and getting of virtues, and
peradventure hath gotten by grace a somedeal[170] rest, and a clarity in conscience, anon he leaveth
prayers, readings of holy scriptures, and meditations of the passion of Christ,
and the mind of his wretchedness; and, or[171] he be called of God, he gathereth his own visits by
violence to seek and to behold heavenly things, or his eye be made ghostly by
grace, and overtravaileth by imaginations his wits, and by indiscreet
travailing turneth the brains in his head, and forbreaketh[172] the mights and the wits of the soul and of the body.
And then, for feebleness of the brain, him thinketh that he heareth wonderful
sounds and songs; and that is nothing else but a fantasy, caused of troubling
of the brain; as a man that is in a frenzy him thinketh that he heareth and
seeth that none other man doth; and all is but vanity and fantasies of the
head, or else it is by working of the wicked enemy that feigneth such sounds in
his hearing.
For if a man have any presumption in his
fantasies and in his workings, and thereby falleth in to indiscreet
imagination, as it were in a frenzy, and is not ordered nor ruled of grace, nor
comforted by ghostly strength, the devil entereth in, and by his false
illuminations, and by his false sounds, and by his false sweetnesses, he
deceiveth a man's soul.
And of this false ground springeth errors, and
heresies, false prophecies, presumptions, and false reasonings,
blasphemings, and slanderings, and many other mischiefs. And, therefore, if
thou see any man ghostly occupied fall in any of these sins and these deceits,
or in frenzies, wete thou well that he never heard nor felt angel's song nor
heavenly sound. For, soothly, he that heareth verily angel's song, he is made
so wise that he shall never err by fantasy, nor by indiscretion, nor by no
slight[173] of working of the devil.
Also, some men feel in their hearts as it were a
ghostly sound, and sweet songs in divers manners; and this is commonly good,
and sometime it may turn to deceit. This sound is felt on this wise. Some man
setteth the thought of his heart only in the name of Jesu, and steadfastly
holdeth it thereto, and in short time him thinketh that that name turneth him
to great comfort and sweetness, and him thinketh that the name soundeth in his
heart delectably, as it were a song; and the virtue of this liking is so
mighty, that it draweth in all the wits of the soul thereto. Who so may feel
this sound and this sweetness verily in his heart, wete thou well that it is of
God,[174] and, as long as he is meek, he
shall not be deceived. But this is not angel's song; but it is a song of the
soul by virtue of the name and by touching of the good angel.[175] For when a soul offereth him to Jesu truly
and meekly, putting all his trust and his desire in Him, and busily keepeth Him
in his mind, our Lord Jesu, when He will, pureth[176] the affection of the soul, and filleth it, and feedeth
it with sweetness of Himself, and maketh His name in the feeling of the soul[177] as honey, and as song, and as any thing
that is delectable; so that it liketh the soul evermore for to cry Jesu, Jesu.
And not only he hath comfort in this, but also in psalms and hymns, and anthems
of holy Church, that the heart singeth them sweetly, devoutly, and freely,
without any travail of the soul, or bitterness in the same time,[178] and notes that holy Church useth. This is
good, and of the gift of God, for the substance of this feeling lies in the
love of Jesu, which is fed and lightened[179] by such manner of songs. Nevertheless, in this manner
of feeling, a soul may be deceived by vain glory; not in that time that the
affection singeth to Jesu, and loveth Jesu in sweetness of Him, but afterward,
when it ceaseth and the heart keeleth[180]
of the love of Jesu, then entereth in vain glory. Also some man is deceived on
this wise: he heareth well say that it is good to have Jesu in his
mind, or any other good word of God; then he straineth his heart mightily to
that name, and by a custom he hath it nearhand alway in his mind; and,
nevertheless, he feeleth not thereby in his affection sweetness, nor light of
knowing in his reason, but only a naked mind of God,[181] or of Jesu, or of Mary, or of any other good word. Here
may be deceit, not for it is evil for to have Jesu in mind on this wish but if
he this feeling and this mind, that is only his own working by custom, hold it
a special visitation of our Lord,[182] and
think it more than it is. For wete thou well that a naked mind or a naked
imagination of Jesu, or of any ghostly thing, without sweetness of love in the
affection, or without light of knowing in reason, it is but a blindness, and a
way to deceit, if a man hold it in his own sight more than it is. Therefore I
hold it siker[183] that he be meek in his
own feeling, and hold this mind in regard nought, till he may, by custom and
using of this mind, feel the fire of love in his affection, and the light of
knowing in his reason. Lo, I have told thee in this matter a little, as me
thinketh; not affirming that this sufficeth, nor that this is the soothfastness
in this matter. But if thou think it otherwise, or else any other man
savour by grace the contrary hereto, I leave this saying, and give stead to
him; it sufficeth to me for to live in truth[184] principally, and not in feeling.
EXPLICIT
HERE AFTER FOLLOWETH A DEVOUT TREATISE CALLED THE EPISTLE OF
PRAYER
GHOSTLY friend in God, as touching thine asking of me, how thou shalt rule
thine heart in the time of thy prayer, I answer unto thee thus feebly as I can.
And I say that me thinketh that it should be full speedful unto thee at the
first beginning of thy prayer, what prayer so ever it be, long or short, for to
make it full known unto thine heart, without any feigning, that thou shalt die
at the end of thy prayer.[185] And wete thou
well that this is no feigned thought that I tell thee, and see why; for truly
there is no man living in this life that dare take upon him to say the
contrary: that is to say, that thou shalt live longer than thy prayer is in
doing. And, therefore, thou mayst think it safely, and I counsel thee to do it.
For, if thou do it, thou shalt see that, what for the general sight that thou
hast of thy wretchedness, and this special sight of the shortness of time of
amendment, it shall bring in to thine heart a very working of dread.
And this working shalt thou feel[186] verily folden in thine heart, but if it
so be (the which God forbid) that thou flatter and fage[187] thy false fleshly blind heart with leasings[188] and feigned behightings, that thou shalt
longer live.[189] For though it may be sooth
in thee in deed that thou shalt live longer, yet it is ever in thee a false
leasing for to think it before, and for to behight[190] it to thine heart. For why, the soothfastness of this
thing is only in God, and in thee is but a blind abiding of His will, without
certainty of one moment, the which is as little or less than a twinkling of an
eye. And, therefore, if thou wilt pray wisely as the prophet biddeth when he
saith in the psalm: Psallite sapienter;191 look that thou get
thee in the beginning this very working of dread. For, as the same prophet
saith in another psalm: Initium sapientiae timor Domini;192
that is: "The beginning of wisdom is the dread of our Lord God." But for that
there is no full sikerness standing[193]
upon dread only, for fear of sinking in to over much heaviness, therefore shalt
thou knit to thy first thought this other thought that followeth.
Thou shalt think steadfastly that if thou may, through the grace of God,
distinctly pronounce the words of that prayer, and win to the end thereof, or
if thou die before thou come to the end, so that thou do that in thee is, that
then it shall be accepted of thee unto God, as a full aseeth[194] of all thy recklessness from the beginning of thy life
unto that moment. I mean thus: standing that thou hast before time, after thy
conning and thy conscience, lawfully amended thee after the common ordinance of
holy Church in confession; this short prayer, so little as it is, shall be
accepted of thee unto God for thy full salvation, if thou then didst die, and
to the great increase of thy perfection, if thou didst live longer. This is the
goodness of God, the which, as the prophet saith, forsaketh none that truly
trusteth in Him with will of amendment;[195]
and sith that all amendment standeth in two--that is, in leaving of evil and
doing of good--means to get these two are none readier than the ghostly working
of these two thoughts touched before. For what reaveth from a soul[196] more readily the affection of sinning,
than doth a true working of dread of death? And what moveth a soul[197] more fervently to working of good, than
doth a certain hope in the mercy and the goodness of God, the which is brought
in by this second thought? For why, the ghostly feeling of this second thought,
when it is thus truly joined to the first, shall be to thee a sure staff of
hope to hold thee by in all thy good doings. And by this staff thou mayst
sikerly climb in to the high mount of perfection, that is to say, to the
perfect love of God; though all this beginning be imperfect, as thou shalt hear
after. For, what for the general sight that thou hast of the mercy and of the
goodness of God, and this special experience that thou feelest of His mercy and
His goodness in this acceptation of this little short service for so long
recklessness, as it were in a full aseeth of so much recklessness (as it is
said before), it may not be but that thou shalt feel a great stirring of love
unto Him that is so good and so merciful unto thee--as the steps of thy staff,
hope, plainly sheweth unto thee in the time of thy prayer, if thou do it duly
as I have told thee before.[198] The ghostly
experience of the proof of this working standeth all in a reverent affection
that a man hath to God in the time of his prayer, caused of this dread in the
ground of this work, and of this stirring of love, the which is
brought in by the ghostly steps of this staff hope, touched before. For why,
reverence is nought else but dread and love medled together with a staff of
certain hope,
Me thinketh that the proof of this working is
devotion; for devotion is nought else, as saint Thomas the doctor saith, but a
readiness of man's will to do those things that longeth to the service of
God.[199] Each man prove in himself, for he
that doth God's service in this manner, he feeleth how ready that his will is
thereto. Me thinketh that saint Bernard accordeth to this working, where he
saith that all things should be done swiftly and gladly. And see why: swiftly
for dread, and gladly for hope, and lovely trust in His mercy. [And what more?
Sikerly, I had lever have his meed that lasteth in such doing, though all he
never did bodily penance in this life, but only that that is enjoined to him of
holy Church, than of all the penance-doers that have been in this life from the
beginning of the world unto this day without this manner of doing. I say not
that the naked thinking of these two thoughts is so meedful; but that reverent
affection, to the which bringing in these two thoughts are sovereign means on
man's party, that is it that is so meedful as I say.[200]] And this is only it by itself, without any other manner of doing (as is fasting, waking, sharp wearing, and all these
other), the which only by itself pleaseth almighty God, and deserveth to have
meed of Him. And it were impossible any soul to have meed of God without this,
and all after the quantity of this shall stand the quantity of meed; for whoso
hath much of this, much meed shall he have, and whoso hath less of this, less
meed shall he have. And all these other things, as is fasting, waking, sharp
wearing, and all these other, they are needful[201] in as much as they are helply to get this, so that
without this they are nought. And this without them is sometime sufficient at
the full by itself, and it is often times full worthily had and come to of full
many without any of the others. All this I say for that I would by this knowing
that thou charged and commended each thing after that it is: the more, "the
more," and the less, "the less"; for oft times unknowing is cause of much
error. And oft times unknowing maketh men to charge more and commend more
bodily exercise (as is fasting, waking, sharp wearing, and all these others)
than they do ghostly exercise in virtues or in this reverent affection touched
before. And, therefore, in more declaration of the meed and the worthiness of
this reverent affection, I shall say a little more than I yet have said, so
that, by such declaring, thou mayst be better learned in this working than thou
yet art.
All this manner of working beforesaid of this
reverent affection, when it is brought in by these two thoughts of dread and of
hope coming before, may well be likened to a tree that were full of fruit; of
the which tree, dread is that party that is within in the earth, that is, the
root. And hope is that party that is above the earth, that is, the body[202] with the boughs. In that that hope is
certain and stable, it is the body; in that it stirreth men to works of love,
it is the boughs; but this reverent affection is evermore the fruit, and then,
evermore as long as the fruit is fastened to the tree,[203] it hath in party a green smell of the tree; but when it
hath been a certain time departed from the tree and is full ripe, then it hath
lost all the taste of the tree, and is king's meat [that was before but knave's
meat].[204] In this time it is that this
reverent affection is so meedful as I said. And, therefore, shape thee for to
depart this fruit from the tree, and for to offer it up by itself to the high
King of heaven; and then shalt thou be cleped God's own child, loving Him with
a chaste love for Himself, and not for His goods.[205] I mean thus: though all that the innumerable good
deeds, the which almighty God of His gracious goodness hath shewed to each soul
in this life, be sufficient causes at the full and more, to each soul
to love Him for, with all his mind, with all his wit, and with all his will;
yet if it might be, that may no wise be, that a soul were as mighty, as worthy,
and as witty as all the saints and angels that are in heaven gathered in one,
and had never taken this worthiness of God,[206] or to whom that God had never shewed kindness in this
life; yet this soul, seeing the loveliness of God in Himself, and the abundance
thereof, should be ravished over his might for to love God, till the heart
brast; so lovely and so liking, so good and so glorious He is in Himself.
O how wonderful a thing and how high a thing is
the love of God for to speak of, of the which no man may speak perfectly to the
understanding of the least party thereof, but by impossible ensamples, and
passing the understanding of man! And thus it is that I mean when I say loving
Him with a chaste love for Himself, and not for His goods;[207] not as if I said (though all I well said) much for His
goods, but without comparison more for Himself. For, if I shall more highly
speak in declaring of my meaning of the perfection and of the meed of this reverent affection, I say that a soul touched in affection by the
sensible presence of Gods as He is in Himself, and in a perfect soul illumined
in the reason, by the clear beam of everlasting light, the which is God, for to
see and for to feel the loveliness[208] of
God in Himself, hath for that time and for that moment lost all the mind of any
good deed or of any kindness that ever God did to him in this life--so that
cause for to love God for feeleth he or seeth he none in that time, other than
is God Himself. So that though all it may be said in speaking of the common
perfection, that the great goodness and the great kindness that God hath shewed
to us in this life are high and worthy causes for to love God for; yet having
beholding to the point and the prick of perfection (to the which I purpose to
draw thee in my meaning, and in the manner of this writing), a perfect lover of
God, for dread of letting[209] of his
perfection, seeketh now, that is to say, in the point of perfection, none other
cause for to love God for, but God Himself; so that by this meaning I say, that
chaste love is to love God for Himself and not for His goods. And therefore,
following the rule of mine ensample, shape thee to depart the fruit from the
tree, and for to offer it up by itself unto the King of heaven, that thy love
be chaste; for evermore as long as thou offrest Him this fruit green and
hanging on the tree, thou mayst well be likened to a woman that is
not chaste, for she loveth a man more for his goods than for himself. And see
why that I liken thee thus; for it seemeth that dread of thy death and
shortness of time, with hope of forgiveness of all thy recklessness, maketh
thee to be in God's service so reverent as thou art. And if it so be, soothly
then hath thy fruit a green smell of the tree; and though all it pleaseth God
in party, nevertheless, yet it pleaseth Him not perfectly, and that is for thy
love is not yet chaste.
Chaste love is that when thou askest of God
neither releasing of pain, nor increasing of meed, nor yet sweetness in His
love in this life; but if it be any certain time that thou covetest sweetness
as for a refreshing of thy ghostly mights, that they fail not in the way; but
thou askest of God nought but Himself, and neither thou reckest nor lookest
after whether thou shalt be in pain or in bliss, so that thou have Him that
thou lovest--this is chaste love, this is perfect love.[210] And therefore shape thee for to depart the fruit from
the tree; that is to say, this reverent affection from the thoughts of dread
and of hope coming before; so that thou mayst offer it ripe and chaste unto God
by itself, not caused of any thing beneath Him, or medled with Him[211] (yea, though all it be the
chief),[212] but only of Him, by Himself;
and then it is so meedful as I say that it is. For it is plainly known without
any doubt unto all those that are expert in the science of divinity and of
God's love, that as often as a man's affection is stirred unto God without mean
(that is, without messenger of any thought in special causing that stirring),
as oft it deserveth everlasting life. And for that that a soul that is thus
disposed (that is to say, that offreth the fruit ripe, and departed from the
tree) may innumerable times in one hour be raised in to God suddenly without
mean, therefore more than I can say it deserveth, through the grace of God, the
which is the chief worker, to be raised in to joy. And therefore shape thee for
to offer the fruit ripe and departed from the tree. Nevertheless, the fruit
upon the tree, continually offered as man's frailty will suffer, deserveth
salvation; but the fruit ripe and departed from the tree, suddenly offered unto
God without mean, that is perfection. And here mayst thou see that the tree is
good, though all that I bid thee depart the fruit therefrom, for more
perfection; and therefore I set it in thy garden; for I would that thou should
gather the fruit thereof, and keep it to thy Lord. And for that that I would
that thou knew what manner of working it is that knitteth man's soul to God,
and that maketh it one with Him in love and accordance of will,[213] after the word of saint Paul saying thus:
Qui adhaeret Duo unus spiritus est cum illo;214 that is to
say: "Who so draweth near to God," as it is by such a reverent affection
touched before, "he is one spirit with God." That is, though all that God and
he be two and sere[215] in kind,
nevertheless yet in grace they are so knit together that they are but one in
spirit;[216] and all this is for onehead of
love and accordance of will; and in this onehead is the marriage made between
God and the soul, the which shall never be broken, though all that the heat and
the fervour of this work cease for a time, but by a deadly sin.
In the ghostly feeling of this onehead may a
loving soul both say a
