[3]"entenden to" = turn our attention, respond to.
[3]"entenden to" = turn our attention, respond to.
[4]or, at in S. de Cressy, "For kind longing in us to him is a lasting penance in us."
[4]or, at in S. de Cressy, "For kind longing in us to him is a lasting penance in us."
[5]"cometh."
[5]"cometh."
[6]The exceeding Bliss. "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."—2 Cor. iv. 17.
[6]The exceeding Bliss. "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."—2 Cor. iv. 17.
"In falling and in rising we are ever preciously kept in one Love"
But here shewed our courteous Lord the moaning and the mourning of the soul, signifying thus:I know well thou wilt live for my love, joyously and gladly suffering all the penance that may come to thee; but in as much as thou livest not without sin thou wouldest suffer, for my love, all the woe, all the tribulation and distress that might come to thee. And it is sooth.[1]But be not greatly aggrieved with sin that falleth to thee against thy will.
And here I understood that [which was shewed] that the Lord beholdeth the servant with pity and not with blame.[2]For this passing life asketh[3]not to live all without blame and sin. He loveth us endlessly, and we sin customably, and He sheweth us full mildly, and then we sorrow and mourn discreetly, turning us unto the beholding of His mercy, cleaving to His love and goodness, seeing that He is our medicine, perceiving that we do nought but sin. And thus by the meekness we get by 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 not be disparted in two: for thy profit I suffer [these things to come].And all this was shewed in spiritual understanding, saying these blessed words:I keep thee full surely.
And by the great desire that I saw in our blessed Lord that we shall live in this manner,—that is to say, in longing and enjoying, as all this lesson of love sheweth,—thereby I understood that that which is contrarious to us is not of Him but of enmity; and He willeth that we know it by the sweet gracious light of His kind love. If any such lover 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. For in the Beholding of God we fall not, and in the beholding of self we stand not; and both these [manners of beholding] be sooth as to my sight. But the Beholding of our Lord God is the highest soothness.[4]Then are we greatly bound to God[5][for] that He willeth in this living to shew us this high soothness. And I understood that while we be in this life it is full speedful to us that we see both these at once. For the higher Beholding keepeth us in spiritual solace and true enjoying in God; [and] that other that is the lower Beholding keepeth us in dread and maketh us ashamed of ourself. But our good Lord willeth ever that we hold us much more in the Beholding of the higher, and [yet] leave not the knowing of the lower, unto the time that we be brought up above, where we shall have our Lord Jesus unto our meed and be fulfilled of joy and bliss without end.
[1]i.e.truth. Seexxvii., "It is sooth that sin it cause of all this pain."
[1]i.e.truth. Seexxvii., "It is sooth that sin it cause of all this pain."
[2]ch.li.
[2]ch.li.
[3]i.e."demandeth not that we live."
[3]i.e."demandeth not that we live."
[4]sooth, soothness:i.e.truth, trueness. "Both these ben soth, as to my syte. But the beholdyng of our Lord God is the heyest sothnes." See chaps.xlv.,liii., etc., the two "Deemings": the Beholding by God of the higher Self and the Beholding by man of the lower self.
[4]sooth, soothness:i.e.truth, trueness. "Both these ben soth, as to my syte. But the beholdyng of our Lord God is the heyest sothnes." See chaps.xlv.,liii., etc., the two "Deemings": the Beholding by God of the higher Self and the Beholding by man of the lower self.
[5]in gratitude, obligation.
[5]in gratitude, obligation.
"Life, Love, and Light"
I had, in part, touching, sight, and feeling in three properties of God, in which the strength and effect of all the Revelation standeth: and they were seen in every Shewing, and most properly in the Twelfth, where it saith oftentimes: [It is I.] The properties are these: Life, Love, and Light.[1]In life is marvellous homeliness, and in love is gentle courtesy, and in light is endless Nature-hood. These properties were in one Goodness: unto which Goodness my Reason would be oned, and cleave to it with all its might.
I beheld with reverent dread, and highly marvelling in the sight and in the 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 nature.
Our faith is a light by nature 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 measureddiscreetly, needfully standing to us in the night. The light is cause of our life; the night is cause of our pain and of all our woe: in which we earn meed and thanks of God. For we, with mercy and grace, steadfastly know and believe our light, going therein wisely and mightily.
And at the end of woe, suddenly our eyes shall be opened, and in clearness of light our sight shall be full: which light is God, our Maker and Holy Ghost, in Christ Jesus our Saviour.
Thus I saw and understood that our faith is our light in our night: which light is God, our endless Day.
[1]Cf.chs.lxxxv.andlxxxvi.These words might be (as Life, Light, and Love) for the Trinity ofMight("the Father willeth"),Wisdom("the Son worketh"),Love("the Holy Ghost confirmeth"):one Goodness: or as it is sometimes denoted, the Trinity ofMight, Wisdom, Goodness: one Love. But here the thought seems to be centred inLightas the manifestation of Being (ofKyndhede= relationships, correspondences of nature): of the Triune Divine Light which in Man is corresponding Reason, Faith, Charity: Charity keeping man, while here, in Faith and Hope; Charity leading him from and through and into the Eternal Divine Love.
[1]Cf.chs.lxxxv.andlxxxvi.These words might be (as Life, Light, and Love) for the Trinity ofMight("the Father willeth"),Wisdom("the Son worketh"),Love("the Holy Ghost confirmeth"):one Goodness: or as it is sometimes denoted, the Trinity ofMight, Wisdom, Goodness: one Love. But here the thought seems to be centred inLightas the manifestation of Being (ofKyndhede= relationships, correspondences of nature): of the Triune Divine Light which in Man is corresponding Reason, Faith, Charity: Charity keeping man, while here, in Faith and Hope; Charity leading him from and through and into the Eternal Divine Love.
"Charity"
The light is Charity, and the measuring of this light is done to us profitably by the wisdom of God. For neither is the light so large that we may see our blissful Day, nor is it shut from us; but it is such a light in which we may live meedfully, with travail deserving[1]the endless worship of God. And this was seen in the Sixth Shewing where He said:I thank thee of thy service and of thy travail. Thus Charity keepeth us in Faith and Hope, and Hope leadeth us in Charity. And in the end all shall be Charity.
I had three manners of understanding of this light, Charity. The first is Charity unmade; the second isCharity made; the third is Charity given. Charity unmade is God; Charity made is our soul in God; Charity given is virtue. And that is a precious gift of working in which we love God, for Himself; and ourselves, in God; and that which God loveth, for God.
[1]i.e.earning the endless praise.
[1]i.e.earning the endless praise.
"Lord, blessed mayest Thou be, for it is thus: it is well"
And in this sight I marvelled highly. For notwithstanding our simple living and our blindness here, yet endlessly our courteous Lord beholdeth us in this working, rejoicing; and of all things, we may please Him best wisely and truly to believe, and to enjoy with Him and in Him. For as verily as we shall be in the bliss of God without end, Him praising and thanking, so verily we have been in the foresight of God, loved and known in His endless purpose from without beginning. In which unbegun love He made us; and in the same love He keepeth us and never suffereth us to be hurt [in manner] by which our bliss might be lost. And therefore when the Doom is given and we be all brought up above, then shall we clearly see in God the secret things which be now hid to us. Then shall none of us be stirred to say in any wise:Lord, if it had been thus, then it had been full well; but we shall say all with one voice:Lord, blessed mayst thou be, for it is thus: it is well; and now see we verily that all-thing is done as it was then ordained before that anything was made.
"Love was our Lord's Meaning"
This book is begun by God's gift and His grace, but it is not yet performed, as to my sight.
For Charity pray we all; [together] withGod'sworking, thanking, trusting, enjoying. For thus will our good Lord be prayed to, as by the understanding that I took of all His own meaning and of the sweet words where He saith full merrily:I am the Ground of thy beseeching. For truly I saw and understood in our Lord's meaning that He shewed it for that He willeth to have it known more than it is: in which knowing He will give us grace to love to Him and cleave to Him. For He beholdeth His heavenly treasure with so great love on earth that He willeth to give us more light and solace in heavenly joy, in drawing to Him of our hearts, for sorrow and darkness[1]which we are in.
And from that time that it was shewed I desired oftentimes to learn[2]what was our Lord's meaning. And fifteen years after, and more, I was answered in ghostly understanding, saying thus:Wouldst thou learn[3]thy Lord's meaning in this thing? Learn it well: Love was His meaning. Who shewed it thee? Love. What shewed He thee? Love. Wherefore shewed it He? For Love. Hold thee therein and thou shalt learn and know more in the same. But thou shalt never know nor learn therein other thing without end.Thus was I learned[4]that Love was our Lord's meaning.
And I saw full surely that ere God made us He loved us; which love was never slacked, nor ever shall be. And in this love He hath done all His works; and in this love He hath made all things 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 from without beginning: in which love we have our beginning. And all this shall we see in God, without end.
[1]"merkness" = dimness.
[1]"merkness" = dimness.
[2]"witten" = to see clearly.
[2]"witten" = to see clearly.
[3]"witten" = to see clearly.
[3]"witten" = to see clearly.
[4]"lerid."
[4]"lerid."
[The Sloane MS. is entitled "Revelations to one who could not read a Letter, Anno Dom. 1373," and each chapter is headed by a few lines denoting its contents. These titles are in language similar to that of the text, and are probably the work of an early scribe. No doubt it is the same scribe who after the last sentence of the book adds the aspiration:]Which Jesus mot grant us
Amen.
[And to him also may be assigned this conclusion:—]
Thus endeth the Revelation of Love of the blissid Trinite shewid by our Savior Christ Jesu for our endles comfort and solace and also to enjoyen in him in this passand journey of this life.Amen Jesu Amen
Thus endeth the Revelation of Love of the blissid Trinite shewid by our Savior Christ Jesu for our endles comfort and solace and also to enjoyen in him in this passand journey of this life.
Amen Jesu Amen
I pray Almyty God that this booke com not but to the hands of them that will be his faithfull lovers, and to those that will submitt them to the faith of holy Church, and obey the holesom understondying and teching of the men that be of vertuous life, sadde Age and sound lering: ffor this Revelation is hey Divinitye and hey wisdom, wherfore it may not dwelle with him that is thrall to synne and to the Devill.
And beware thou take not on thing after thy affection and liking, and leve another: for that is the condition of an heretique. But take every thing with other. And, trewly understonden, All is according to holy Scripture and groundid in the same. AndthatJesus, our very love, light and truth, shall shew to all clen soulis that with mekeness aske profe reverently this wisdom of hym.
And thou to whom this boke shall come, thank heyley and hertily our Saviour Christ Jesu that he made these shewings and revelations, for the, and to the, of his endles love, mercy and goodnes for thine and our save guide, to conduct to everlastying bliss:the which Jesus mot grant us.Amen.
Adight= prepared, ordained.Adventure= chance, hazard.After= according to.All thing= with the verb singular—kept here chiefly to expressall, thewholeof things related to each other, though often, as in the original, meaning simplyevery, each. In Early and Middle Englishthinghad nosin the plural.Andhad sometimes the force ofbut, and once or twice in the MS. it is used in its sense ofif, or ofand though, orand when.Asseth, asyeth, asyeth-making= satisfaction; fulfilment (theologically used).Asketh= requireth, demandeth.Avisement= consideration; observation with self-consulting.Beclosed= enclosed.Behest= promise: a thing proclaimed; afterwards, command.Behold in= behold.Beholding= manner of regarding things.Belongeth to, behoveth= is incumbent, befitteth.Blissful= used sometimes asblessed.Bodily= perceived by any of the bodily senses, effected by material agency.Braste= burst.Busyness= the state of being busy;great busyness= much ado.But if= unless, save.Cause= reason, end, object.Cheer= expression of countenance shewing sorrow or gladness; mien.Close= shut away; hid, or partially hid.Come from= go from.Common: the Blessed Common= the Christian Community.Contrarious= perverse. Various other forms are used from tocontrary, to oppose.Couldandcanrefer to knowledge and practical skill, ability.Courteous= gently considerate and fair; reverentially ceremonious; Gracious.Deadly= mortal.Dearworthy= precious; beloved and honoured.Depart= dispart, part.Deserve= earn.Disease= distress, trouble, want of case.Doom, deeming= judgment.Doomsman= priestly confessor.Enjoy in= enjoy; rejoice in.Entend= attend.Enter= to lead in.Even= equal;even-like; even-right= straight, straight-facing.Even-Christian(even-cristen, sing. or pl.) = fellow-Christian.HamletV. i., "And the more the pity that great folk have countenance in this world to drown or hang themselves more than their even Christian."Faithfully= trustfully.For that= because.Fulfilled of= filled full with.Fulfilling= fulfilment, Perfect Bliss.Garland= crown.Generally= relating to things or people in general, not "in special."Grante mercy= ("grand merci") great thanks.Have to= betake one's self to.Hastily= quickly, soon.Homely= intimate, simple, as of one at home.Honest= fair, seemly.If= that (chap.xxxii., "Thou shalt see—if all—shall be well" Acts xxvi. 8).Impropriated (impropried) to= appropriated to.Indifferent(to thy sight, chap.li.) = indistinct.Intellect= understanding, that which is to be understood, inference.xiii.Intent= attention.Kind= nature, race, birth, species; natural, etc.;kindly= as by birth and kinship, natural, filial, gentle, genial, human and humane.Known= made known.Languor= to languish.Learn= teach.Let, "letten" = hinder (letted).Like (it liketh him, meliketh)= to suit, be similar to the desire, to be pleasing (Amos iv. 5).Liking= pleasure, pleasance.Likeness("without any likeness") = comparison.May, might,often forcanandcouldof modern usage.Mean= to think, say, signify, intend; to have in one's mind.Mean, means= medium, intermediary thing, or person, or communication.Mind= feeling, memory, sympathetic perception or realisation.Mischief= hurt, injury, harm.Mights= powers, faculties.Morrow= morning.Moaning= sorrowing.Naked= simple, single, plain, by itself.Needs= of need; itbehoveth needs= is incumbent through necessity.Oweth= ought, is bound by duty or debt.One(oned, oneing) = to make one, unite.Over= upper.Overpassing= exceeding; theoverpassing= the Restoration, the heavenly Fulfilment of the Company of souls mademorethan conquerors; the Supernal Blessedness.Pass= to die.Passing= surpassingly.Regard, in regard of= in respect of, comparison with.Regard= look, sight.Ready= prepared;readily= quickly.Sad= Sober ("sad votaress," Milton,Comus), originally "firm" ("rype and sad corage," Chaucer:The Clerkes Tale, 164).Say= tell.Skilfully= discerningly, with practical knowledge and ability.Slade= a steep, hollow place; a ravine.So far forth= to such a measure.Solemn= festal, as of a yearly feast, stately, ceremonial.Sooth= very reality, that whichis; soothly, soothfastly.Speed= prospering, furtherance, profit.Stint("stinten") = to cease.Stirring("stering") = moving, prompting, motion.Substantialandsensual, relating respectively (in the writer's psychology) to theSubstanceor higher self, and the soul inhabiting the body on earth, called by her theSensualite, and in chap.lvii.the sensual soul; cf.Genesis i. 27, with ii. 7.Tarry= to vex, delay.Touch(a) = an instant.Touching= influence.Trow= believe.Unknowing= ignorance;unmade= not made.Ween= suppose, expect, think.Will; He will= He willeth that.Wilfully= with firm will, resolutely.Witto know by perception, to experience, find, learn. Knowledge knows:Wisdom wits.Worship= honour, praise, glory.Wretch= a poor, a mean creature of no account.
Adight= prepared, ordained.
Adventure= chance, hazard.
After= according to.
All thing= with the verb singular—kept here chiefly to expressall, thewholeof things related to each other, though often, as in the original, meaning simplyevery, each. In Early and Middle Englishthinghad nosin the plural.
Andhad sometimes the force ofbut, and once or twice in the MS. it is used in its sense ofif, or ofand though, orand when.
Asseth, asyeth, asyeth-making= satisfaction; fulfilment (theologically used).
Asketh= requireth, demandeth.
Avisement= consideration; observation with self-consulting.
Beclosed= enclosed.
Behest= promise: a thing proclaimed; afterwards, command.
Behold in= behold.Beholding= manner of regarding things.
Belongeth to, behoveth= is incumbent, befitteth.
Blissful= used sometimes asblessed.
Bodily= perceived by any of the bodily senses, effected by material agency.
Braste= burst.
Busyness= the state of being busy;great busyness= much ado.
But if= unless, save.
Cause= reason, end, object.
Cheer= expression of countenance shewing sorrow or gladness; mien.
Close= shut away; hid, or partially hid.
Come from= go from.
Common: the Blessed Common= the Christian Community.
Contrarious= perverse. Various other forms are used from tocontrary, to oppose.
Couldandcanrefer to knowledge and practical skill, ability.
Courteous= gently considerate and fair; reverentially ceremonious; Gracious.
Deadly= mortal.
Dearworthy= precious; beloved and honoured.
Depart= dispart, part.
Deserve= earn.
Disease= distress, trouble, want of case.
Doom, deeming= judgment.Doomsman= priestly confessor.
Enjoy in= enjoy; rejoice in.
Entend= attend.
Enter= to lead in.
Even= equal;even-like; even-right= straight, straight-facing.
Even-Christian(even-cristen, sing. or pl.) = fellow-Christian.HamletV. i., "And the more the pity that great folk have countenance in this world to drown or hang themselves more than their even Christian."
Faithfully= trustfully.
For that= because.
Fulfilled of= filled full with.Fulfilling= fulfilment, Perfect Bliss.
Garland= crown.
Generally= relating to things or people in general, not "in special."
Grante mercy= ("grand merci") great thanks.
Have to= betake one's self to.
Hastily= quickly, soon.
Homely= intimate, simple, as of one at home.
Honest= fair, seemly.
If= that (chap.xxxii., "Thou shalt see—if all—shall be well" Acts xxvi. 8).
Impropriated (impropried) to= appropriated to.
Indifferent(to thy sight, chap.li.) = indistinct.
Intellect= understanding, that which is to be understood, inference.xiii.
Intent= attention.
Kind= nature, race, birth, species; natural, etc.;kindly= as by birth and kinship, natural, filial, gentle, genial, human and humane.
Known= made known.
Languor= to languish.
Learn= teach.
Let, "letten" = hinder (letted).
Like (it liketh him, meliketh)= to suit, be similar to the desire, to be pleasing (Amos iv. 5).Liking= pleasure, pleasance.
Likeness("without any likeness") = comparison.
May, might,often forcanandcouldof modern usage.
Mean= to think, say, signify, intend; to have in one's mind.
Mean, means= medium, intermediary thing, or person, or communication.
Mind= feeling, memory, sympathetic perception or realisation.
Mischief= hurt, injury, harm.
Mights= powers, faculties.
Morrow= morning.
Moaning= sorrowing.
Naked= simple, single, plain, by itself.
Needs= of need; itbehoveth needs= is incumbent through necessity.
Oweth= ought, is bound by duty or debt.
One(oned, oneing) = to make one, unite.
Over= upper.
Overpassing= exceeding; theoverpassing= the Restoration, the heavenly Fulfilment of the Company of souls mademorethan conquerors; the Supernal Blessedness.
Pass= to die.
Passing= surpassingly.
Regard, in regard of= in respect of, comparison with.Regard= look, sight.
Ready= prepared;readily= quickly.
Sad= Sober ("sad votaress," Milton,Comus), originally "firm" ("rype and sad corage," Chaucer:The Clerkes Tale, 164).
Say= tell.
Skilfully= discerningly, with practical knowledge and ability.
Slade= a steep, hollow place; a ravine.
So far forth= to such a measure.
Solemn= festal, as of a yearly feast, stately, ceremonial.
Sooth= very reality, that whichis; soothly, soothfastly.
Speed= prospering, furtherance, profit.
Stint("stinten") = to cease.
Stirring("stering") = moving, prompting, motion.
Substantialandsensual, relating respectively (in the writer's psychology) to theSubstanceor higher self, and the soul inhabiting the body on earth, called by her theSensualite, and in chap.lvii.the sensual soul; cf.Genesis i. 27, with ii. 7.
Tarry= to vex, delay.
Touch(a) = an instant.Touching= influence.
Trow= believe.
Unknowing= ignorance;unmade= not made.
Ween= suppose, expect, think.
Will; He will= He willeth that.Wilfully= with firm will, resolutely.
Witto know by perception, to experience, find, learn. Knowledge knows:Wisdom wits.
Worship= honour, praise, glory.
Wretch= a poor, a mean creature of no account.